SEARCH 2.0 Talk Show Q&A

On December 16, 2023, PERPITA (台灣印尼僑生聯誼會） along with the Indonesian Economics and Trade Office to Taipei co-hosted their annual event for Indonesian students in Taiwan. The event aims to guide the students on their path of looking for future careers. After rounds of brainstorming and voting, the members of PERPITA decided to have a deeper dive into "Personal Branding".

With a nice surprise, I am honored to be invited as one of the speakers at the Talk Show. The panel was full of insights with inspiring views and fun interactions with the students. With too little time and too much to share, I've written down my thoughts about personal branding based on the question raised. Hope these QAs are helpful to those who are looking to build a personal brand!

What do you have in mind for Personal Branding? Share your feedback with me in DM!

1. In a digital age, how important is an online presence for personal branding? How do you use online platforms for personal branding?

On a scale of 1-10, I’d say it's 12 points of importance for having an online presence in the digital era. There is no doubt that most of us if not all, are on social media. We are easy to be found on these platforms. Your social media account is usually the first impression you give to a new connection. Before knowing you in person, before further engagements, people will find out what you do and who you are from the posts you share on social media.?

Having an online presence is a way to be connected with other people, especially your peers, colleagues, and even potential business partners. So yes, it is necessary to build a digital identity on Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or even TikTok or Xiaohongshu (小红书) depending on who your audience is. With the good content, you may also connect with people who will surprise you.

I have different approaches for different platforms. Here is how I manage my most used platforms.

• LinkedIn - I use LinkedIn as a professional channel to share work-related posts. Like the events I attended, panels I moderated, and people I met in the professional setting. I also share interesting posts or articles related to marketing with my network as a way to express myself and what I do.?I got an invitation on LinkedIn to be one of the speakers at SEARCH 2.0. I didn’t know anyone from PERPITA. However, I am noticed because of my LinkedIn profile. This is a perfect example of building a great presence online.
• Instagram - Instagram is for the photos I took. I like photography. Maybe not very professionally, but I do have some shots I took or being taken that I like. So I share them on Instagram as a showcase of my personal life. I only share images that are worth remembering as a post. For fragmented moments, I share them in stories.?
• Facebook - Facebook has been a gray area for me. Facebook was one of the earliest social media platforms popular before IG, TikTok, even YouTube went viral. So many people I know from my childhood or earlier in life (same age or older) are on Facebook. Most accounts are in real names so it’s also easy to find your connection from real life. I share important life updates on Facebook in a way to keep the connection with those who care about me.?

2. How did you start your personal branding from zero? If you restart everything new, how would you make it differently?

Nothing happened for granted. I wasn’t active on LinkedIn when I started working. I didn’t think it was important to build a personal brand. At that time, people around me were more conservative and old-fashioned. No one taught me about personal branding. But when I started working in the startup industry, I realized that everyone is so active on either LinkedIn or Facebook if not both. That’s when I realized it's something I must do. So I started reaching out to people I met at work and following all accounts I’m interested in to be engaged and connected. By doing so for a few months, I finally reached the bar of having 500 connections. To your knowledge, LinkedIn only indicates on your profile when you have more than 500 connections. Only the account owner knows exactly how many connections you have on LinkedIn. So getting 500 connections on LinkedIn can be a goal for your network.?

If I had a chance to hit the reset button, I wouldn’t do anything to change what has made me who I am today. I believe that everyone I meet and everything that happens in my life affects my personality. However, I take a moment to reflect on my journey in different stages of my life and ask if I’m satisfied with what I have achieved. I think this helps to clear my mind and make sure I’m on the right track of my life goals and make adjustments if necessary. This is what I think everyone should do as it’s a good way of knowing myself and being a better person.?

3. What strategies do you recommend for networking to enhance one's personal brand?

Besides your online presence, face-to-face interaction is also important when building your personal brand. In psychology, there is the “Similarity Effect”. This means those with similar interests and characteristics, and even alike appearances are more likely to develop closer relationships. Networking with different people helps you identify who you are, what you like, and who you want to become.?

Following our last discussion, your digital identity is bilateral. In addition to what you share, engagement with others is also important. No matter you are expanding your network online or in person, I have 3 advices to share with you.?

1. Be yourself: My first advice for anyone who looks to enhance your personal branding is just simply be yourself. Be sincere and wear a smile all the time. Unless you are building a personal brand that’s hard to get along with or just too distant, a smile is always a good way to give a friendly impression and it leads to a new conversation.?
2. Know your TA: Know who you are talking to. In the professional setting, people you meet are potential partners. Sometimes, maybe competitors. You need to make sure not to reveal too much personal information, yet still be willing to share your point of view to build connections. People love to hear trivia or private matters. So a little self-reveal helps to shorten the distance.?
3. Quality over quantity: There are so many associations, clubs, and communities out there. You never have to worry about building new connections. But don’t waste your time in the wrong community. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to filter the people you meet. It is also important to have emotional support and friends with benefits. However, you should identify your needs to build connections more efficiently.?

4. How can someone differentiate themselves in a competitive job market through personal branding??

Always be ready to meet your benefactor. I’m sure many of you have classmates who always show up in class in pajamas and slippers. While others may wear proper outfits. Who do you think is more serious? Same for the business setting. Some of you may appreciate a casual look. But for me, what I wear reflects my performance at work. I prefer a stylish office look other than a T-shirt and jeans because I take my job very seriously. So when everyone else is wearing t-shirts while I wear a suit, people take me seriously and are curious about my background.?

From an HR point of view, they review hundreds and thousands of resumes a day to identify an ideal candidate. How you stand out from those competitors is the key to success. A few reminders in the job searching process, for the JDs you are interested in, look for the keywords that are related to your background. When writing your cover letter or during the interview, use those keywords in the context. For example, if the job description says they are looking for someone attentive to details, you can bring up a story when you notice an error in a proposal, and save the whole project in the end. This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but labeling yourself with the characteristics HR wants is how you get the job.?

Another example is to link back to self-promotion and marketing. Chances are for those who are ready. Never worry too much about not getting the opportunity. Sometimes it’s only because it’s not your time yet. Don’t be shy to share your opinion in the form of a post or essay. Be active on social media, and interact with relevant people. You will shine when the time is right.

5. How do you build a personal brand when you just starting out in your career or transitioning to a new field?

The first step in building your personal brand is always to know who you are and who you want to be. How other people perceive you is determined by your personal brand. So my advice for you is to be true to yourself and stay genuine. It’s good to share positive and good things with others but you should never fake about your experience and what you can do. Because if you do so, not only will you be revealed but you are not gonna be happy after all. Some may argue fake it till you make it. But this is when you try really hard at something, you try again even when you fail. Then in the end you can succeed.?

If you are just starting out your career, and you have no connections at all, try to let people know who you are and what you are capable of. If you are transitioning to a new field, you can start to share your opinions and points of view on LinkedIn and include hashtags that are relevant. You can also attend seminars and events in the related field. Talk to people you meet and ask for advice. Keep learning and improving your knowledge in related fields. Personal Branding is the art of communication. it’s not just how you present yourself but how others perceive you. You need to express yourself in a way to be respected and taken seriously.?

6. Can you share a story about a time when you faced a major setback or failure in your career and how you managed to turn it into a valuable learning experience?

I got let go during Covid. This was a story I was ashamed to share. I devoted to tourism for almost all of my career before the outbreak of the pandemic. All my connections and people I know are in this field. When I was laid off, I felt anxious and frustrated because I was still doing all I could to serve the only client I had. But I know this was no one’s fault. I have to do something to keep myself in the game. I started having the thought of having my own business. A business that is self-sustaining and covers many aspects so I don’t have to worry about the next covid. But I didn’t have any resources or connections who could help. So I decided to work in the startup ecosystem. Working with entrepreneurs not only showed me how they strive for success but also their innovative mindset. When I first started, no one knew who I was. But I attended as many events as possible, I forced myself to talk to strangers and introduced myself. I tried to be as kind and welcoming as possible to my new connections. In 2 years, I am connected with more people I met in the past 6 years of my career in tourism. Working in the startup ecosystem was a blessing for me. I appreciate the experience even though it was challenging and not what I’m good at. But it helped me to realize what I can be and who I want to be.?

7. Can personal branding evolve over time, and if so, how do you adapt it to reflect changes in your career or personal growth?

We are in an era where everything is changing rapidly. It’s understandable if you have new interests every once in a while or change your career goal after experiencing something new. In this case, your personal brand evolves with your interests and plans. Don’t worry about being capricious. Just embrace your changes and when you are asked, think of a way to share your story that explains the connection between the different versions of yourself. Most importantly, make sure you are changing for the better.