Learn from Dorie Clark: Reinventing You for the 21st Century
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future by Dorie Clark
Are you where you want to be professionally? Whether you want to advance faster at your present company, change jobs, or make the jump to a new field entirely, the goal is clear: to build a career that thrives on your unique passions and talents. But to achieve this in today's competitive job market, it's almost certain that at some point you'll need to reinvent yourself professionally.
reinventing you dorie clark epub 21
In Reinventing You, branding expert Dorie Clark provides a step-by-step guide to help you assess your unique strengths, develop a compelling personal brand, and ensure that others recognize the powerful contribution you can make. Mixing personal stories with engaging interviews and examples from well-known personalitiesMark Zuckerberg, Al Gore, Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, and othersReinventing You shows how to think big about your professional goals, take control of your career, build a reputation that opens doors for you, and finally live the life you want.
In this article, we'll review some of the key insights from Reinventing You and show you how you can apply them in your own career journey. We'll also share some success stories of people who have reinvented themselves professionally and give you a practical plan to reinvent yourself in 21 days.
Why You Need to Reinvent Yourself Professionally
The world of work is changing faster than ever before. Technology, globalization, automation, and social media are disrupting industries, creating new opportunities, and challenging old assumptions. The skills and knowledge that made you successful in the past may not be enough to keep you ahead in the future. The average lifespan of a company is shrinking, and the average tenure of a job is decreasing. The concept of a linear career path is becoming obsolete, and the idea of a lifelong employer is fading away.
At the same time, you may have your own personal reasons to reinvent yourself professionally. Maybe you're bored or dissatisfied with your current job, or you feel stuck in a rut. Maybe you have a passion or a talent that you want to pursue, or you have a vision of a better future that you want to create. Maybe you want to make a difference in the world, or you want to have more freedom and flexibility in your work. Maybe you just want to challenge yourself and grow as a person.
Whatever your motivation, reinventing yourself professionally is not only possible, but necessary. It's the only way to stay relevant, competitive, and fulfilled in the 21st century. It's also the only way to align your work with your true self and express your full potential.
How to Assess Your Unique Strengths and Skills
The first step to reinventing yourself professionally is to assess your unique strengths and skills. These are the core competencies and value proposition that you can offer to the world. They are the foundation of your personal brand and the basis of your differentiation.
To assess your unique strengths and skills, you need to do some self-reflection and gather some feedback from others. Here are some questions to help you with this process:
What are you good at? What are the skills and abilities that you have developed over time, through education, training, or experience?
What are you passionate about? What are the topics and issues that interest you, excite you, or inspire you?
What are your values? What are the principles and beliefs that guide your decisions and actions?
What are your goals? What are the outcomes and results that you want to achieve in your work and life?
What are your personality traits? What are the characteristics and qualities that describe who you are and how you behave?
What are your stories? What are the experiences and events that have shaped your identity and perspective?
To get a more objective and comprehensive view of your unique strengths and skills, you should also ask for feedback from people who know you well, such as your colleagues, managers, mentors, clients, friends, or family. You can use tools like 360-degree feedback surveys, personality tests, or online quizzes to collect this information.
Once you have gathered enough data, look for patterns and themes that emerge from your self-assessment and feedback. Identify the common threads that connect your strengths, passions, values, goals, personality traits, and stories. These are the elements that make up your unique value propositionthe combination of benefits that only you can provide to others.
How to Develop a Compelling Personal Brand
The next step to reinventing yourself professionally is to develop a compelling personal brand. A personal brand is the way you present yourself to the worldthe image and reputation that you create and communicate through your words, actions, and appearance. A compelling personal brand is one that showcases your unique value proposition in a clear, consistent, and authentic way.
To develop a compelling personal brand, you need to follow three steps: create a brand statement, craft a brand narrative, and design a brand identity.
Create a Brand Statement
A brand statement is a concise summary of who you are, what you do, and how you add value. It's like an elevator pitch that captures the essence of your personal brand in one or two sentences. A good brand statement should answer these questions:
Who are you? (Your name and role)
What do you do? (Your expertise and industry)
How do you add value? (Your unique value proposition)
For example, here's Dorie Clark's brand statement: "I'm Dorie Clark, a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review."
To create your own brand statement, use this formula:
I'm [name], a [role] who [value proposition].
Craft a Brand Narrative
A brand narrative is a story that explains how you became who you are todaythe journey that led you to your current position and direction. It's like a biography that highlights the key events and experiences that shaped your identity and perspective. A good brand narrative should answer these questions:
Where did 71b2f0854b