Here's how you can build your personal brand while working in temporary and contract roles in social impact.

Defining your goal is essential in shaping your personal brand. Consider what impact you want to make in the social impact sector. Whether it's advancing sustainability, promoting equality, or driving community development, clarity on your objectives will guide your actions and messaging.

Starting a social impact company is a noble endeavor, aiming to create positive change while building a sustainable business. However, the journey is fraught with challenges that can be navigated more effectively by clearly defining your goals from the outset. Goals serve as benchmarks against which progress can be measured. They allow you to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) targets. Defining goals is not just a preliminary step but a foundational practice for any social impact company. It ensures clarity, focus, and alignment, enabling you to measure progress, attract support, guide decisions, motivate your team, and secure long-term sustainability.

Define your ultimate goal and start working on it everyday. Include the skills you want to learn, the experiences you want to achieve, the network you want to build, the projects you want to work on and with a little 1% push each day, you'll realize that 3-10 years later, you laid the foundation for your growth and have a portfolio/resume to back up your growth testimonial.

Actively networking within the social impact sphere is crucial. Attend industry events, engage with professionals on social media, and seek out informational interviews. Building authentic relationships not only expands your opportunities but also enhances your credibility within the field.

With over 25 years in Public Administration, I've learned that networking isn’t just about exchanging business cards; it’s about building meaningful relationships. Here’s why it’s crucial: Expand Your Horizons: Connect with diverse professionals and gain fresh perspectives. Open Doors: Discover new opportunities, collaborations, and career advancements. Continuous Learning: Learn from others' experiences and share your own insights. Support System: Build a community that supports and motivates you. These are just a few proven methods that will definitely keep you active, and relevant.

Find your networking strategy and connect with more people through that. If it's through sending DMs to people you want to connect with, through attending industry events, through collaborating with people on projects, through volunteering your experience, resources and time, through building your own community, find what works for you and start connecting with the people who match your interest and focus areas.

People can't help you if they don't know what you need. Don't keep your skills hidden. Showcase them to unlock new opportunities! Here's why it matters: Visibility: Stand out in your field and get noticed by potential employers and collaborators. Credibility: Demonstrate your expertise and build trust with your audience. Growth: Attract opportunities for professional development and career advancement. Inspiration: Motivate others by sharing your journey and successes. Share your skills and let the world see what you can do!

Showcasing your skills effectively is key to building your personal brand. Highlight your expertise in areas such as project management, community engagement, or fundraising through tangible examples and case studies. Utilize platforms like LinkedIn to showcase your achievements and contributions.

For starters, entry level or mid-career professionals, documenting your achievements no matter how insignificant you think it is, might be the one thing that sets you apart and opens a door for you. By showcasing your skills and talents, you increase your visibility and chances of reinforcing your voice in the social impact space. Learning and getting up-skilled go hand in hand. Be hungry for knowledge, read, ask questions, interact with people who have an understanding of the topical issues you're interested in and conversations will spark from there. Keep engaging, keep learning, sharing what you've learned and poco a poco, you position yourself as a go-to resource in the social impact space.

Embracing adaptability is a hallmark of success in temporary and contract roles. Demonstrate your ability to thrive in diverse environments by showcasing how you've effectively navigated change and ambiguity. Emphasize your flexibility, resilience, and willingness to learn new skills as assets to any team or project.

As a communications executive, adaptability is a major skill you need to thrive in this role. I've had to learn corporate communications, content strategy, digital marketing, social media marketing, design, data analysis for storytelling, and different aspects of communication, in order to adapt to the ever evolving space, curve and stay visible. You have to put in the work in order to adapt to the changes we see around us. That's how you stay relevant.

Authenticity attracts opportunities. If you want to stand out, you have to lean in to your passion, core values, your identity and what makes you tick. Focus on cultivating the areas that validate your experiences and interest. When you share what is relatable, not just because it has a commercial/conversion value, but because it validates the core of your mission and passion, this consistency will make you a voice and attract others to you. Be true to who you are and the things that matter to you.

Pick projects where you are happy and excited to contribute, that showcases your best talents. This way not only are you giving your best, you are also being regarded at your best. This builds a strong personal brand that is authentic.

Regularly reflect on your experiences and adjust your approach accordingly. Assess what strategies have been effective in building your personal brand and identify areas for improvement. Stay agile and open to feedback, refining your messaging and networking tactics to align with your evolving goals and the demands of the social impact sector.