John D. Hersey

Proposals to adopt restated Articles of Incorporation needed to clarify the Soci-ety's status under Wisconsin law, to adopt a new name more clearly expres-sive of the Society's role in its growing field, and to provide greater flexibility in scheduling lo

All Proposals Approved By Special Membership Meeting

Members of the Society are now studying a proposed new set of Bylaws which they will be asked to approve at a Special Membership Meeting in San Francisco on June 8, just prior to the annual meeting of the General Council. Those not able to attend may vote

Members To Vote On New Bylaws At San Francisco Conference

With a background as an executive search consultant, L&D practitioner, and a career coach, my goal in this blog series is to introduce you to some new perspectives, ideas, insight, recommendations, and experiences that will help you reach your career goals. This installment deals with personal branding.Personal branding is not a new concept. It is a process of marketing yourself and your career as a brand. Why should personal branding be important in your career development or job search process? The following stories demonstrate how three different T&D professionals leveraged personal branding in their careers. Jesyka’s story Jesyka Simpson began her career as an HR generalist for the Air Force and in educational institutions. She felt that her personal brand as a “generalist” was potentially limiting her career goals, so she deliberately sought out internal L&D projects that her organization was struggling to accomplish. Jesyka asked to work on these projects for a trial period—30, 60, and 90 days. If successful, she would be given more.Jesyka knew she could not be a passenger on her journey to reach her career goals—she needed to be in the driver seat. She transitioned her personal brand by bringing the L&D projects to the forefront of her resume and online presence, and she put the generalist experience in the background. This minor but impactful tweak was effective in the retail industry, where HR and L&D are often separate and not as integrated as in other industries. By being proactive, asking for new projects, using new language, and showcasing her results, her brand had changed. Today, Jesyka is VP of HR and Learning at Barteca Restaurant Group in Connecticut.Sarah’s story After graduating from FIT, Sarah Levine began her career in customer service and leasing within the retail industry. She created motivational programs for shopping mall employees and helped improve the customer experience. These activities were strengthened in her next position as the skills center director and then as the director of training for the National Retail Federation. Sarah trained retail-minded employees, and later facilitated train-the-trainer sessions focused on customer services and sales skills. After 14 years, her position was eliminated. Sarah was ready for a career change. She rebranded herself in the job market based on other key responsibilities and skills from her previous position, such as program management, college and community relations, and partnership building. Sarah shifted her personal brand by highlighting these other skills and experiences in her resume, online presence, and during networking events. This change directly resulted in her landing her current position as director of program operations at the National Apartment Association.Amy’s story Prior to starting her own consulting firm, Amy Jauman was the director of learning and development at Regis Corporation in Minneapolis. She always approached her position at Regis as an internal consultant supporting leaders with their training needs.Amy’s ability to understand and communicate how culture influences employee behavior, to assess and create solutions, and to build trust with senior leaders were three essential skills for becoming an external consultant. Amy transitioned her personal brand to highlight these skills in order to capture new business. She shifted language and content to market herself as a brand to prospective clients on her website and in a weekly blog post, leveraging her core competencies as a consultant. Result: Amy is now president of Remotely Smart.Your storyIn the New Year, take a closer look at your own journey and how it can help strengthen or transition your personal brand. Here are a few suggestions:Create a blog, write an article, or post a comment highlighting skills that you want others to associate with you.Incorporate projects or seek out projects to build or transition your personal brand.Transition language and content in your resume and online profile to reposition you for the roles you want as opposed to the roles you have previously held.Don’t wait for the internal promotion or new job to come to you—be proactive.What are your thoughts on personal branding? Please join in the discussion.For more on L&D career advancement, read Abbe's previous post: "L&D-Related Skills Are Hot Commodities.”

John D. Hersey

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