Taking your brand to market

By Kate McLucas

rofessional experience and feedback from co-workers and bosses will help you paint a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses. However, it's equally important to gain the supplementary insight provided by assessment tests and personality indicators. Once you have a specific idea of your leadership traits, you can concentrate on strengthening weaknesses through career counseling or seminars. And once you're confident that "You 2.0" is ready for prime time, you can put together a marketing package for potential employers. Below are suggested testing, coaching, and marketing routes.


Assessment tests

If you mentioned personality types in the working world 10 years ago, you would have been branded as a kook rather than a serious and dedicated professional. These days, taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and using the results to dictate co-worker relationships, business acumen, and career goals is not unusual. The MBTI self-assessment test determines which of four temperaments you belong to; these are then broken down into 16 profiles that provide a fairly accurate road map of your intrinsic skills, tendencies, and strengths. For more on the test, see mbtypeguide.com/Type/type.html and www.aptcentral.org. Another resource is the book Please Understand Me, by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates (Prometheus Nemesis Book Co., 1984), which provides a thorough description of the test and specific personality types. You can even take the test via the Web at www.biztest.com and get it scored for you.


Career guidance and seminars

There are many good career Web sites that provide advice and links to seminars. Among them is www.ninthhouse.com, which hosts an online learning resource called The Learning Network in addition to providing career-specific columns, features, and tips. Having licensed the work of career gurus such as Tom Peters and Ken Blanchard, The Learning Network provides you with Web-based courses on leadership, communication, business essentials, management, and teams.

Other hot Web resources are www.careerbuilder.com -- which contains numerous links, advice, and chat rooms -- and www.jobhuntersbible.com, which is sponsored by The Washington Post and based on the best-selling book What Color Is Your Parachute?

Aside from virtual coaching environments, a real-life career coach can help you focus on priorities, strengthen weaknesses, and round out what you have to offer the business world. It's important to find a coach that specializes in your needs. There's a comprehensive list of coaches at www.coachfederation.org; the site also has an interactive coach-finding tool.


Self-marketing

• Join professional organizations. Networking is an important part of getting your name and brand out into the marketplace, and professional organizations are a good place to start. See "Sharpen your leadership skills" for a list of recommendations.
  
  
• Attend conferences. Conferences are an excellent place to meet people with similar interests while gaining important information about your profession. If you are staying in a hotel, eating meals, and attending social events with your peers, it's easy to strike up a conversation -- and a helpful professional relationship. WITI's conferences are a good place to start (see www.witi.com).
  
  
• Set up a Web site. A personal Web site can be a powerful marketing tool. If you don't have experience with Web technology, a site such as www.homestead.com can be handy. It provides useful guidelines, drag-and-drop images, and templates to help you get a site up and running. The company will also register a domain name for you. Homestead offers a similar e-mail service. If you are more experienced with Web technology, try www.webmonkey.com for site and content tips.

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