Building yourself as a marketable brand

I have just completed my graduate degree and have now been released to the weird and wonderful world of clambering to the top of the corporate ladder. Up until now I can't say I have been a roaring success in the workplace and I can come up with a number of reasons for that but probably my biggest weakness is my inability to network and build mutually beneficial relationships (you scratch my back and all that).

But I've just been reading the classic "Nice girls don't get the corner office" by Lois Frenkel and discovered another major mistake I have been making is not correctly branding and marketing myself. Just like a company has an image and brand that it needs to market and maintain we are the brand managers of our own career's. Here are some steps you can take to build your brand:

1. Make a list of 3 to 5 things that bring you the most satisfaction at work. For example for me these are: Coaching and developing employees, problem solving, completing projects successfully.
2. Use these to make a statement about yourself that you can easily state when asked about what your speciality is or what your strengths are. E.G. for me this would be: My patience and ability to communicate make a very good trainer and coach. As a team manager I am able to draw out my team members strengths helping them to do their jobs effectively and progress in their career.
3. When asked what you do, DO NOT minimize your position. Women tend to say things like I am just an analyst or I am just a supervisor. Stop that immediately, say what you do proudly e.g. I am a mortgage advisor for the largest bank in the country or if not working at the moment say something like "I am currently seeking a position that would make use of my 7 year banking experience and my Masters degree in finance"
4. Stop using your nicknames or allowing people to use a nickname at work settings. This diminishes your stature. For example the author states that you never hear people saying Billy Gates or Donny Tramp. Its Donald Tramp or Bill Gates. Similarly you shouldn't become Lizzy or Suzy at work. Also when you call someone and leave a voice mail or when signing off emails or letters use your full name. 
5. If there is any vacancy or job that you want don't wait around to be noticed, speak up and ask if you can be considered for it. Also don't think you have to meet all the qualifications for a job before you can apply for it, you can learn on the job as most people do. Repeat this mantra "I am VERY smart. I will learn anything I need to learn in order to get any job done."
6. Never refuse an opportunity to stretch yourself even if offered a task or job you feel is beyond your capability. The person giving you the task must feel you can do it and by stretching yourself you will even surprise yourself how much you can achieve.
7. Whenever you are in a meeting always voice your opinion or ideas. Don't whisper silently to the person next to you, speak loudly and clearly so so that you are heard. Also in many cases men in the meeting might ignore your suggestion and then a few minutes later someone else says your exact same idea albeit a bit differently. When this happens don't just shut up, say something like "That sounds like you are building on what I suggested earlier so I would definitely support that."
8. It may also be an idea for you to suggest your ideas in writing maybe through email to you manager, supervisor or team. This makes it very hard for your idea to be ignored or passed on as somebody else's.

I actually really liked this book. I'll share more of what I learned from it in later posts but in general having finished reading it I feel really powerful and can't wait to get my teeth into the game of office politics and getting ahead career-wise whereas before I dreaded all that.