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Friday 10th February 2012

This is the third in a series of summer holiday homework exercices for women returners to work by Majella Wilkins, Founder Return2WorkMums. This time Majella shares some simple exercises on your personal brand and how to make the right impression on your return to work.

Summer Homework for Women Returners: Personal Brand and making the right first impression

Many women returners do not think about their personal brand when they are preparing for their return to work. Personal Brand should not be confused with personal style and appearance albeit both style and appearance contribute to your personal brand. Your Personal Brand conveys who you are, your values and experience. It is how people perceive you, remember you and refer you onto others.

In other words, your personal brand is a very powerful networking and job searching tool if used well.  Majella Wilkins, Founder of Return2WorkMums, in the third part of the Summer Homework Series for Women Returners provides a few pointers on defining your Personal Brand and preparing your introduction statement in order to make the best first impression.  Spending 15 – 20 minutes a day for a week, will help you start to develop your personal brand and introduction statements.

Step 1 Understanding How Impressions are Formed
Studies have revealed that we form impressions of others based on:

  • 55% What we see
  • 38% What we hear
  • 7% The actual message content

It surprises many people that appearance has such a huge influence on other people’s perception of us. Our appearance is, however, closely aligned to how we feel and behave. The raft of very popular TV makeover shows demonstrate this link very well as we watch shy individuals lacking in confidence and self esteem blossom into people who feel happier and are more socially engaging as their appearance is altered. It is also worth noting that appearance is more than just personal style, make up and clothes but also includes body language and behaviour. 

Armed with this knowledge what kind of first impression would someone form of you?  Imagine a social scene where you’ll have to meet some new people for the first time – it could be a social occasion where you know very few people or the playground as your child starts their first day at a new school.

  • How do you prepare for these new social situations?
  • What are the words and phrases these new acquaintances might use to describe you and remember you long after the initial meeting is over?

Step 2 Consider some other personal brand role models
  • Look around at your social circle and acquaintances - are there some people you quite admire?
  • How do they present themselves?
  • How do they behave and engage with others?
  • What style of language do they use?
  • What about their body language?
  • What specifically makes them stand out so they are memorable to you?
  • Does their personal brand help to contribute to their popularity & success and if so in what way?

Step 3 Communicating Your Personal Brand – Your introduction Statement
The introduction statement is sometimes referred to as the “Elevator pitch” where you are in an elevator with someone of influence who you need to engage with quickly and effectively in order to secure a positive follow on action such as a meeting or an interview. You only have a couple of minutes at most for your introduction.
Bear in mind, even without an elevator, most of us form an opinion within the first few minutes of meeting someone. What, therefore, would you say about yourself to grab their interest and hold their attention in order to secure the opportunity to have a longer dialogue? Remember this introduction is about why you are of interest to the listener and not just a monologue on your career history.

Using your notes from the previous week’s exercises on your career story and skills analysis start jotting down ideas about:
  • Why you’re excited about returning to work
  • The style of job you’re looking for and
  • Why you’re so well suited for it - highlighting just a couple of your relevant skills with examples.
  • Now put these words together into a statement that you feel comfortable and confident saying. Remember even the most successful senior executives have times of self doubt so don’t let any negative thoughts stand in your way. Concentrate on all the positive experiences and skills you have to formulate your engaging introduction.

It is also worth preparing some responses for those situations where you’ll have a little more than 2 minutes. Your initial introduction has grabbed the listener’s attention and now he/she wants to know more. Consider your responses to:
Tell me a little more about yourself – Remember to consider who is asking this question and what they might be looking for so tailor your experience, skills and accomplishments to those of relevance.

What have been your main achievements? You should prepare 4 – 6 with examples but then select just the most appropriate to the listener and job opportunity.

Now tell me about your weaknesses? Proceed with caution as listeners have a habit of holding onto negative information. Do not dwell on negative aspects of your career history and keep your response short as you really need to major on the positive in your communications. Maybe talk about a situation which didn’t initially go well but how you turned it around because of one of your other attributes. Also never make any negative comments about a former employer or manager.

Step 4 Practise Makes Perfect
You will need to practise saying these statements so they come naturally but they must not sound like something you chant ad verbatim. They will require tailoring to the individual with whom you are communicating. This may require some thinking and adapting as you go but if you have your core value and experience messages prepared and practised, then the ad lib will flow more naturally.

Above all else, remember to think about your listener. Why would they be interested in employing or recommending you? You need to express your value confidently – even if you don’t always feel it – and smile as that really does help to create positive vibes.

Now combine your great introduction statements with a professional and confident appearance and you will start to have a personal brand that will help with your return to work. Next week’s exercise from Return2WorkMums is all about networking and using your personal brand to help with your return to work.


Article written by Majella Wilkins, founder of Return2WorkMums - a new online community for women to connect with experts for support, inspiration and knowhow about returning to work and managing their ongoing working life. Return2WorkMums keeping you informed and connected for a confident return to work.