The Harsh Truth About Your Personal Brand (And How to Measure It)

I know some people think the phrase 'personal branding' is a bit false or sickly.

But if you are actively looking for work, how people perceive you at that exact moment in time is critical. If they do not perceive you as a strong, valid, and credible candidate, you will not get an interview.

It really is that black and white.

A strong brand brings more opportunities your way. A weak brand means fewer opportunities come your way. Here is how the market is actively measuring you and how you can measure yourself.

The brutal reality of your conversion rate

Let us apply some common sense here. You might well be the best available talent in your sector. But if you have not done a good job of communicating that to third parties who do not know you from Adam, your actual ability does not matter.

The market provides a free indicator of your brand's strength.

Just look at the activity you are getting through your CV or application form. If you are sending out your CV and getting rejected more often than not, your personal brand is weak. That weakness is simply being conveyed through whichever tool you used to express your interest.

If you are successfully securing interviews but failing to convert them into offers of work, it suggests your face-to-face brand is weak.

The 'three adjectives' test

If you want to know what your brand looks like to the outside world, ask people. Ask trusted friends, colleagues, or bosses how they would define your professional abilities using just three adjectives.

This is an incredibly revealing exercise. If you ask your network and get a consistent message back, you have a solid and coherent brand.

But if you get 97 different and conflicting adjectives back, you have a problem. It suggests that you are not one core thing. You are a multitude of things to lots of different people and your message is entirely confused.

The battered transit van

Think of your career like a commercial trade.

Are you driving around your local area in a battered, unmarked white transit van hoping for work? Or are you driving a professionally wrapped and sign-written commercial vehicle that clearly communicates exactly what you do?

There is a reason professional trades spend time and money communicating a message to drum up business. Most professionals' CVs and LinkedIn profiles are the battered transit van. They should be the fully branded commercial vehicle.

Check your LinkedIn SSI score

If you want a digital measurement of your brand, look at your LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI).

We all have one. It is a score out of 100 that measures how well you establish your professional brand, find the right people, engage with insights, and build relationships.

If you do a good job of using the platform as it was intended, your SSI will skyrocket. If you ignore it, your score will be low. Keep an eye on it every quarter just to ensure the score is heading in the right direction.

Do not leave your brand to chance. Take active action, fix your marketing collateral, and start controlling how the market perceives you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is a personal brand? Your personal brand is simply how you are seen at a specific moment in time by others. It is shaped by your CV, your LinkedIn profile, your face-to-face interactions, and even your activity on other forms of social media.

How can I quickly measure the strength of my personal brand? The most reliable indicator of your brand's strength is to look at the number of applications you make and compare it to the number of interviews those applications secure. If you are constantly rejected, your personal brand is currently weak.

What is a LinkedIn SSI score? SSI stands for Social Selling Index. It is a score out of 100 provided by LinkedIn that measures how effectively you establish your brand, find the right people, engage with content, and build relationships.

Can my personal social media affect my professional brand? Absolutely. Pretty much anything you do online influences your brand. Many high-profile people have completely trashed their personal brands by acting without thought or making inappropriate posts on social media.