Reputation: It's Your Career Brand
A career reputation is created over time as a result of attitude and behavior. Be intentional about yours!
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Reputation: It's Your Career Brand
Reputation is our identity in the opinion of others. In the business world, reputation is considered by many to be our most important asset, so shaping and developing how we wish to be perceived becomes a wise career strategy.
A reputation can be formed based on facts plus people's direct experience of being in relationship with you. It can also be formed as a loosely held opinion based on gossip and innuendo. The latter can be of considerable risk from a career perspective.
Knowing and controlling how you are perceived by others contributes to your ability to be strategic about your career success.
The concept of character is different from reputation, but the former can be an important influence, and provide an essential foundation for the latter. Individuals who live from strong core vaues also tend to build positive reputations. An honourable reputation can be developed through intentional and consistent, exemplary behavior,for example:
* Being respectful
* Being trustworthy
* Being genuine
* Being honest
* Being kind
Building a distinguished reputation may take the better part of your career-life, and yet it can be undermined, sometimes even destroyed, in a matter of minutes as a result of a bad decision or a thoughtless action.
What is your reputation? If you want an answer to that question, try polling a group of people who know you well, i.e. a group of selected friends, family, colleagues,subordinates, supervisors and clients or customers.
Ask each person to state the first two or three descriptors that come to mind when they think of you. Then examine all of the responses to find similar language or themes. These poll results should give you a good sense of how you are perceived by the people in your personal and professional life. If you hear anything that gives you cause for concern, ask that person's advice on actions you could take
to improve. This task takes courage and the willingness to receive feedback.
For further information on personal branding and career strategies, access this website Self-Marketing http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109639205992&s=471&e=001z3ceenwhb2Qszp2dbi...
Take good care,
Kathleen