Crash Course in Personal Branding, from the McCombs School of Business

IN PERSONAL BRANDINGCRASH COURSE

10 TIPS FROM THE McCOMBS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

“SELLING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS IN THE MARKET-PLACE.”

OUR SOURCE: HERB MILLER

l 30 years as a senior lecturer of marketing at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

l 25+ years of corporate experience

l Texas Exes Teaching Award in 2011

l Named to The Alcalde’s ‘Texas 10’ in 2014

KNOW YOUR SIGNIFICANT VALUE

“PEOPLE AREN’T GOING TO TAKE YOUR BRAND SERIOUSLY UNLESS IT HAS VALUE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.”

LOOK WITHIN YOURSELF TO IDENTIFY THE UNIQUE

TRAITS THAT SET YOU APART FROM YOUR PEERS.

1

DEFINE YOUR PATH

THINK AHEAD, PLOT YOUR COURSE, AND NAVIGATE

WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.

“WITH THE HELP OF MY MENTORS AND PROFESSORS, I RECOGNIZED EARLY ON THAT ESTABLISHING SHORT- AND MID-TERM GOALS WOULD KEEP ME FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING TANGIBLE MILESTONES WHICH, IN TURN, WOULD HELP ME CONTINUOUSLY REFINE MY PATH OVER TIME.”

– ANDREW VO, BBA ’95, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ACCENTURE

“PLAN YOUR WORK, WORK YOUR PLAN. FAIL TO PLAN, PLAN TO FAIL.”

STAY FOCUSED

“SOMETIMES THINGS COME UP AND IT’S HARD TO KEEP YOUR FOCUS, BUT IF YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND YOU’RE COMMITTED TO THAT PATH THEN YOU’LL GET RIGHT BACK ON TRACK.”

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, AND DON’T LET

ANYONE DETER YOU FROM YOUR GOALS.

EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

“A RESUME IS NOTHING BUT BLACK INK ON WHITE PAPER — IT’S A REQUIREMENT. WHAT ISN’T A REQUIREMENT IS A GLOSSY, COLOR PRINTED BROCHURE.”

PART OF MILLER’S PERSONAL SELLING AND SALES MANAGEMENT

CLASS REQUIRES STUDENTS TO CREATE A PERSONAL BRANDING

BROCHURE, WHICH TEACHES THEM TO MARKET THEIR VALUE

PROPOSITION IN A UNIQUE WAY.

EVERY INTERACTION CREATES AN

IMPRESSION

EVERY TIME YOU INTERACT —WHETHER YOU’RE IN A MEETING,

AN INTERVIEW, OR IN CLASS — PEOPLE ARE EVALUATING YOU. BE SURE TO LEAVE A GOOD FIRST —

AND LASTING IMPRESSION —EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

“YOUR FIRST INTERACTION CAN MAKE OR BREAK A POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP, A SALE, OR A JOB OPPORTUNITY. REMEMBER: ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE.”

HERE ARE THREE THINGS STUDENTS SHOULD DO TO CREATE A STRONGER BRAND:

MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA: THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR RECRUITERS AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS TO MEASURE YOU AGAINST YOUR PEERS.

GET AN INTERNSHIP: THIS ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD YOUR BRAND FOR THE FUTURE, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA THAT YOU’RE CHOOSING TO PURSUE YOUR LIFE’S WORK OR YOUR WORK AFTER COLLEGE.

MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA: THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR RECRUITERS AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS TO MEASURE YOU AGAINST YOUR PEERS.”

MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA: THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR RECRUITERS AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS TO MEASURE YOU AGAINST YOUR PEERS.

GET AN INTERNSHIP: THIS ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD YOUR BRAND FOR THE FUTURE, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA THAT YOU’RE CHOOSING TO PURSUE YOUR LIFE WORK OR YOUR WORK AFTER COLLEGE.

HOLD A LEADERSHIP POSITION ON CAMPUS: WHETHER IT’S BUSINESS OR SOCIAL, FUTURE EMPLOYERS WILL SEE YOU AS A CONTRIBUTOR AND A VIABLE ENTITY.

SEE THE WORLD AS YOUR AUDIENCE

LOOK FOR WAYS TO BUILD YOUR BRAND. ENGAGE PEOPLE THAT YOU

DON’T YET KNOW.

“ALSO, BE BODACIOUS IN YOUR APPROACH TO MEETING PEOPLE.”

“WHEN YOU’RE ON A FLIGHT, TALK TO THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU. YOU’D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY JOB OFFERS — PARTICULARLY INTERNSHIPS — YOU GET.”

GET

PERSONAL

FUN FACT: PROFESSOR MILLER PLAYED ON HIS HIGH SCHOOL’S HOCKEY TEAM.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHARE A LITTLE PERSONAL INFORMATION. DOING SO

HELPS YOUR AUDIENCE FIND A COMMON GROUND AND IT HELPS

PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH YOU.

“TELL PEOPLE YOUR HOBBIES OR WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO. YOU’LL BE SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR INTERESTS.”

MILLER’S HOBBIES INCLUDE:• FLY FISHING• SNOW SKIING• FORMULA 1 SPECTATING• ROAD CYCLING• TRAVELING

PRACTICE SERVICE ABOVE SELF

“EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TEAM PLAYERS AND WHO CARE ABOUT THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY RATHER THAN WHAT THE ‘COMPANY CAN DO FOR THEM.’” – SEAN WAGGONER, BBA ’96, VP ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR OTHER PEOPLE? THAT’S WHAT THE

CUSTOMER IS LOOKING FOR IN ANY PRODUCT OR BRAND.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK

POWERFUL BRANDS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. IN ORDER TO BUILD YOUR BRAND, YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR NETWORK. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK YOUR CONTACTS FOR HELP.

“MAKE AS MANY CONTACTS AS YOU CAN. THERE ARE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS AROUND YOU THAT CAN BE REALLY IMPORTANT ASSETS IN THE FUTURE.”

– JASON ATKINSON, BBA ‘93, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT RUSSAM GMS (U.K.)

IF YOU NEED HELP, GET LEADS FROM PEOPLE WHO YOU KNOW VALUE YOUR BRAND AND CAN MARKET YOUR VALUE.

NEVER QUIT

“BE CONFIDENT AND REMEMBER THAT YOU WIN IF YOU DON’T QUIT.”

HOLD FAST TO YOUR CONFIDENCE FOR IT HAS

GREAT POTENTIAL FOR REWARD.

Thanks for reading!

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