Personal Branding Leads to Better Job, Says Longnecker & Associates Compensation Experts

    HOUSTON, TX, May 07, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Giving yourself the best chance to get a better job is what personal branding is all about.

"The higher you are on the radar and the more valuable you seem to be, the more money you usually make," says Brent Longnecker, a Houston-based CEO with 25 years of leadership experience in executive compensation and corporate governance.

Longnecker says the top two goals for personal branding are to position yourself uniquely in the minds of others and to build a focused message. The first step is to identify your audience. Where do you fit? What do you offer and what are the common denominators in positions you are trying to attain or the career ladder you are climbing within your company? Then establish visibility that will attract your audience.

"Maybe other people have your skill sets, but perhaps there are few with your energy or tenacity; your networking ability or your contacts," said Longnecker.

Build an authority. Publish articles. Write a book. Speak about your experiences. Become certified and make sure you refer to that certification knowledge in building your brand.

Have a job and want to move up? Here are four ways to brand yourself inside your company:

1) Become the go-to person with a specific skill everyone knows about
2) Dress like the executive you are or want to be
3) Seek opportunities to communicate with other departments through writing or speaking
4) Learn as much about your company as possible and share it through writing, speaking and mentoring

Longnecker concludes: "There are 60 million profiles on LinkedIn -- the social site that is about managing your career. Making your profile the one that stands out to your audience means knowing your strongest characteristics and presenting them directly and unmistakably. It's not just for jobs but also for clients and services and trade tips. But before you post your profile on any of the social sites, you might concentrate on your personal brand," said Longnecker.

Brent Longnecker has authored or co-authored ten books including The Power of Restricted Stock and Stock Option Alternatives.

Longnecker & Associates is an independent Houston-based executive compensation and corporate governance consulting firm with experience in the analysis, design and implementation of innovative performance, governance enhancement and cost-savings programs for private and public companies and not-for-profits.
Website: http://www.longnecker.com

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