Why Personal Branding Is Key To Advancing Your Career In Malaysia
To boost your career as a Malaysian, you must first learn how to be your own advocate and unlock new opportunities along the way.
By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:12 AM
Updated on 2024-08-30 at 6:34 AM
Elevate Your Professional Presence Through Effective Personal Branding
You might think personal branding is something reserved for celebrities and established business owners.
But in the era of internet influencers and online networking, everyone has a fair shot at cultivating their own image brand.
Actually, having a strong and consistent personal brand can do wonders for your career. It can help strengthen your credibility and open you up to high-level opportunities in Malaysia.
What is Personal Branding?
According to Gary Henderson, personal branding is the practice of marketing people and their careers as brands. In simpler terms, personal branding is how you promote yourself in the professional world.
Depending on your career, this may include your personal and professional values, expertise, services you provide, and your career journey.
Why is Personal Branding Important for Your Career?
Developing a personal brand unique to your skills, experiences, and personality allows you to tell a memorable story to your connections and future employers.
If the thought of self-promotion makes you squirm, Meredith Fineman, author of Brag Better assures you that promoting oneself is an act of knowing who you are and being in control of how you want to be perceived.
After all, if you don’t define yourself, you risk being defined by someone else. So start controlling your narrative today.
4 Ways Personal Branding Can Boost Your Career in Malaysia
1. Enhance your value and credibility
Honing your personal branding allows you to showcase your identity as a professional beyond your workplace.
Share real stories behind your accomplishments and what you learned from your journey. Relatable stories like this provide a lot of value to your peers.
You don’t have to start as an expert. Sharing the things you learned along the way not only provides value to your readers but also lends credibility to your expertise on a particular topic. Being truthful with your experience also helps you connect better with your readers.
As potential clients or employers associate you with your area of interest, it also helps you gain their trust.
And as you cultivate your credibility in your industry, you’ll even be able to make a lasting impact on issues that matter to you.
2. Keep track of your goals and achievements
Once you choose a platform to build your brand on (we recommend LinkedIn since it’s popular amongst recruiters and employers), use this space to keep track of all your achievements.
Doing so can help you figure out the direction you want your professional career to go. In the long run, recruiters, employers, and peers in your industry will understand your goals and match you to opportunities that are most relevant to you.
Don’t be shy about showing off your achievements. Building a brand that flexes your skills and experience will give you an edge in the competition and set you apart from other candidates.
This will come in extremely handy when you’re looking for a new job or trying to get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers.
If you'd like to know more about establishing a presence on LinkedIn with a profile that recruiters love, we have you covered in this article.
3. Unlock unexpected opportunities
Besides job offers, a successful personal brand can open you up to incredible opportunities. Opportunities can come in the form of collaborations, speaking engagements, or influential connections in your industry.
Building a professional identity takes time so these opportunities may not come to you immediately. That’s why staying consistent is key!
4. Gain employer exposure
A healthy brand image is also a great chance to uplift your employer’s brand messaging or mission.
Representing your company in a positive light can increase brand awareness and make you a valuable asset to the organisation.
One study found that a brand message is 24 times more likely to be reshared when posted to an employee’s social media compared to the employer’s account!
Your employer will appreciate the spike in exposure because it could lead to industry connections and potential clients for the company.
How To Create an Eye-Catching Personal Brand in Malaysia
1. Do some self-reflection
Before you start, you must ask yourself “Who am I and what do I stand for?”
It’s alright to not know where you want your career to go yet – especially if you’re in the early stages of your career.
What’s important is understanding what values matter to you and what you’re passionate about. Let these be the foundation of your personal branding.
2. Choose your social media platforms
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash
The internet has made it possible for anyone to cultivate an online presence. Whether you do this successfully will depend on your personal branding strategies.
You can choose to be on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or even TikTok. But before you decide, find out who your target audience is.
The corporate scene may be more prominent on LinkedIn while creatives tend to be on more visual platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
If you’re just starting, it’s a good idea to limit the number of platforms to concentrate on. You don’t want to stretch yourself too thin and end up burning out from personal branding upkeep.
3. Stay true to yourself
When crafting content for platforms like LinkedIn, it's crucial to infuse it with your personal touch. Rather than echoing familiar narratives, strive to weave in your own authentic experiences and perspectives. This not only sets you apart but also fosters a genuine connection with your audience.
For instance, you could incorporate anecdotes or reflections that reflect your unique journey. Additionally, consider leveraging multimedia elements like videos created using a free online video editor to further amplify your voice and engage your audience in a compelling way.
By prioritising authenticity and originality, you'll not only strengthen your personal brand but also resonate more deeply with your audience.
4. Stay visually consistent
The fun part for many people when it comes to personal branding is determining the aesthetic of your identity. This will help you stay visually consistent from your profile photo down to your resume design.
Take some time to decide what visual style fits your professional identity. Take cues from your favourite brands and find out the meaning behind their chosen colours and fonts.
Is your brand elegant and professional? You might want to try going for navy blue or black.
If you want to be seen as fun and approachable, bright colours like yellow could be for you.
Once you’ve decided on a style, apply it to all your platforms and establish an identity that will cement people’s memory of you.
5. Engage with your community
The truth is you can’t build a successful personal brand without engaging with your peers.
Don’t forget to make genuine connections with people in your community by interacting with their posts. Include people in meaningful conversations that expand on topics in your industry.
It’s selfish to expect support from your community without uplifting others yourself. So take part in your community to build lasting relationships, trust, and a good rapport!
A strong personal brand is something that takes time to build but it’s all worth it in the long run.
Let Hiredly guide you through the complexities of creating your professional identity and succeeding in your dream job!
By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:12 AM