Personal Branding Tips to Enhance Your Career

“Jimmy, you’re not just a data scientist. You’re half data scientist and half marketer.”

This is what my previous data science manager told me several years ago.

I think he meant it as a compliment.

He saw that I had so much experience applying data science to help our company’s marketers market to marketing clients for Marketing Solutions products, that I became a Pi-shaped professional with dual expertise in both data science and marketing in his eyes.

Data science plus marketing—along with my 12-year insider experience working at LinkedIn, serving as volunteer career coach, partnering with universities, and leading Toastmasters—these elements all contributed to my personal brand.

I’ll share with you today some of my tips on building your personal brand and reputation to enhance your career. But first, a few examples of AI usage and networking...

AI-Assisted Data Leadership Strategy

Everyone, thank you so much for your patience! I've been late in sending my weekly email newsletters as I’ve been heads down with a couple of new things including a new startup client.

I’m currently providing data strategy consulting for a rising online media company. Thankfully AI tools nowadays like ChatGPT make it much easier to draft routine documents like design guidelines, data dictionaries, database ER diagrams (hint: use ChatGPT to generate Mermaid-formatted files for import into the free Draw.io Visio-like tool to quickly build ER diagrams). The automation gives me more time for planning and evaluating options for the client.

💡 Consider AI assistance in routine tasks, to free up your time to do complex tasks.

Network-Assisted Data Leadership Strategy

And we’re still continuing our Data Leaders Community of Practice cohort, along with taking applications for the next cohort.

At last week’s cohort meeting, we heard stories about data professionals who have pivoted and transformed into successful…

• product managers,
• real estate agents,
• entrepreneurs,
• and even marketers.

My main takeaway from the discussions was that it’s totally okay to have different career paths for different people, as no one has exactly the same interests and opportunities.

In all cases though, a person’s cumulative experiences gained over time will always be valuable to somebody.

For example, my skills with WordPress and Google Analytics gained via side gigs weren’t directly useful at my latest big tech corporate job which preferred custom in-house apps. But those skills are now helpful for me again as I guide startups and small businesses with the use of these common industry tools.

💡 Don’t compare, but celebrate with people who transform their careers.

Personal Branding For Everyone

I believe the three personal assets that everyone must nurture to give themselves more career options are:

• Skills
• Networking
• Brand and reputation

These 3 areas make up the cornerstones of what I teach people to thrive in the age of AI.

For today, I want to focus on building your personal brand and reputation.

I will share with you an excerpt from my interview with Authority Magazine:

About Personal Branding from my Authority Magazine interview

(Excerpt from Highly Effective Networking: Jimmy Wong Of AI Jimmy On 5 Strategies for Successful Networking, Both Online and Offline)

I consider a person’s personal brand to have two parts: 1) what you say about yourself, and 2) what others say about you. What you say about yourself should come from your unique value proposition, which is your promise to the world in how you specifically will help people. On the other hand, what others say about you comes from your reputation. When people see you deliver on your promises consistently, then your reputation improves. This reputation aspect moves a person’s personal brand beyond hype to create goodwill. This goodwill helps people to trust you when connecting and networking.

To develop and maintain a strong personal brand, I advise people to be visible consistently and to engage consistently in order to be remembered consistently.

When online, these are some things I do to be visible and to engage consistently that you can do too:

• Apply best practices for LinkedIn profiles: add a professional headshot photo, a distinct headline, and an audience-focused About summary.
• Update your other online presences: update alumni directories, professional association profiles, personal blog, and other social media
• Within your company: customize your profile in internal systems including email, Zoom, Slack, your intranet, HR systems, and elsewhere.
• Be helpful online: whether on social media, or internally in your company through Slack and Zoom and Slido, try to be the first to chime in with helpful and encouraging comments or thoughtful questions. Beyond responding to others, consider blogging to establish thought leadership to apply the 90–9–1 rule to your advantage.

When in person, these are some things I do to be visible and to engage consistently that you can do too:

• Engage in large events: Be a speaker or host if possible. If you’re not the speaker, then sit near the front and try to be the first to raise your hand or step up to the mic to ask a thoughtful question.
• Engage in meetings: Sit strategically at the conference room table to stay engaged and visible. Also, step up to volunteer to write notes on the whiteboard to get even more visibility, even if you’re not the one hosting the meeting.
• Add buffer time for networking: Plan extra time immediately before and after in-person group meetings to engage with people individually.

When people see you either online or in person, and start recognizing your name and face as someone who is positive and helpful, then they will naturally gravitate toward you. With the increased trust from familiarity, it becomes easier to establish connections with people afterwards for follow-up networking.

Bonus: Take Photos at In-Person Meetings

Take a photo when meeting people in person. People like photos as they are generally associated with happy times. If I meet someone for a coffee chat or lunch, I almost always ask permission to take a selfie with the other person or people. I share the photo with them afterwards when I send the follow-up thank you message. If appropriate, I occasionally share these photos on social media too after getting proper permissions, which can elevate the perceived value of the meeting. In this age of virtual meetings, celebrate the special in-person meetings.

Are the above tips actionable for you?

I still try to follow my own advice on networking and personal branding. See this recent example of my LinkedIn post last week of a selfie photo I took with another senior data leader. My post was seen nine thousand times, garnering reactions from 172 people.

What was the result of my networking meeting and my LinkedIn post? Several new executives connected with me, and I got another public speaking opportunity out of it.

Personal Branding for Data Professionals

I want folks to have more career options. People usually know to keep up their skills, and even to nurture their network. However, I see many data professionals in my network neglect to nurture their personal brand, which limits their career options. I’m offering two simple solutions for folks this week.

Oct. 3rd Masterclass: Team Branding

I’m speaking at the “Data Leadership Masterclass: Team Branding” online event on October 3rd, 2024. It’s a free live event hosted by the Data Leaders Community of Practice. In the session, I’ll give a few tips for data leaders on how to build their team brand. Attendees will be able to meet and network with each other following my talk. You can learn more and register for this free Zoom event.

Online Course: Personal Branding for Data Professionals and Leaders

I also have a full “Personal Branding for Data Professionals and Leaders” online course for you. I squeezed in many actionable tips specifically for data professionals to build their personal brand and team brand in under 40 minutes. Here’s Sonja’s feedback after hearing me share my concepts and tips on personal branding.

I’m pleased to announce that my online course was relaunched onto the Thinkific platform this week. On the new platform, you can now sign up for a free preview lesson.

For this month, I am reducing the course price from $60 to $49. For my dear readers, please email me and I’ll explain how you can get an additional 20% discount for even more value for you.

Enroll today to get my best personal branding tips to enhance your career right away.

Jimmy Wong Coach, speaker, and entrepreneur enabling people to thrive in the age of AI. Data science leader with 12 years experience at the LinkedIn company and 27 years in the industry. Visit aijimmy.com​ ​​​​​​

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