Global Heir's Blog: Young Consultants, Make Your Mark

Start Now!
Many consultants later regret neglecting their personal brand during the early stages of their career. For the current generation of young consultants, widespread use of social media has certainly changed how many young consultants build their brand; but has also posed a threat to the sanctity of the personal brand. Grant stressed the importance of working on our personal brand through a range of mediums, as soon as possible, and in doing so giving ourselves more time to shape our personal brand to fit our long-term career objectives. “Start now – the earlier the better.”

Be Your Own Marketing Department
Many consultants are already aware of the need to continually push ourselves to achieve higher standards and better quality work, but it is equally important to make those around us aware of our achievements and strengths. You need to be front of mind when a client faces a challenging issue; a difficult place to occupy when clients are bombarded with information personally and professionally every day. So you need a personal brand that’s memorable, strong and trusted. One of the best pieces of advice Grant had received early in his career from a senior partner was to learn when and how to ‘blow your own trumpet’ in a way that celebrates success and builds brand recognition, but isn’t arrogant or disingenuous. Be thoughtful and persistent in building your own branding campaign, just like a marketing department for a large company would be.

Our personal brand can be thought of as one of our primary natural asset. It is an expression of our natural strengths and capabilities. One effective method of determining what your personal brand ought to be is to ask yourself: “What do I want to be famous for?” In other words, how and what will we be remembered for as individuals and employees? Using this question can help us develop our Personal Brand in a genuine and unique way. Interestingly, as time goes by and we grow and develop, the answer to the question tends to change. This change is mimicked by our personal brand, making us ‘naturally unique’ over time.