How do you enhance your personal brand and set yourself apart from the masses? I interviewed Tami Palmer, a seasoned career advisor and job search coach who has counseled thousands of individuals on professional growth. With fifteen years of experience in the staffing and human resources management industries coupled with five years of experience as a career coach, she has become well-versed in the feat of marketing yourself.
Samantha Snellings: How can I use social media to enhance my personal brand? Should my "voice" vary on different social media platforms?
Tami Palmer: Each of the social media platforms has a “vibe.” LinkedIn should be your professional platform, free of politics or agenda — unless that is integral to your brand. Facebook is where you can be yourself, but be sure to modify who views posts on your profile. For instance, I keep any political posts to a curated small group of contacts. Be thorough in the settings to be sure future employers are not seeing a side of you that you would like to keep private.
Samantha Snellings: How can I make my personal brand shine through on paper?
Tami Palmer: It is critical that we allow our “secret sauce” to come through on a resume. What will set you apart from other similar resumes — all using the same jargon — in a stack of resumes? The “secret sauce” is a combination of your experiences, education and how you are wired. One of my clients had a Masters in Computer Engineering, and she was a marketing director. That degree was buried on page two. I had her incorporate the fact that she had a degree — as well as her inclination towards analytical work — to show her differentiator in the marketing arena. It is hard to read the label when you are inside the bottle. That is why so many people seek out resume assistance.
Samantha Snellings: What can harm an individual's personal brand?
Tami Palmer: I believe that people have a level of fear around owning what makes them unique. Is standing out akin with being narcissistic? Some people believe that what they have to offer isn’t special enough. They lack confidence to truly shine. Some people just make really poor choices that have lasting negative repercussions — as we saw with Roseanne Barr having her television show taken from her. Nothing goes away on the Internet, so be careful what you put out there.
Palmer is referencing the May 2018 scandal surrounding Roseanne Barr that resulted in ABC cancelling her television show, Roseanne.
Samantha Snellings: What are a few tangible things that I can do to enhance my personal brand?
Tami Palmer: Understand what makes you unique and find ways to share this with others. One of the things that makes me unique about being a job search coach is that I am also a writer. My ability to help others craft their stories and communicate with clarity and precision fuels my work. We each have unique elements that fuel our individual story. We often just need some coaching in how to showcase them authentically and with humility. I offer a 360 survey to clients where they can see first-hand how others view them. This is often an affirming, confidence building activity.
Samantha Snellings: Why are you passionate about career advising? Was there a specific moment in which you realized that this was your calling or something that you would be good at?
Tami Palmer: I was drawn to counseling after going through family therapy as a pre-teen. In college though, I was turned off by the math, analytics and science associated with a psychology degree. Coaching is what I was really after. I just didn’t know it existed until I was older — and you really need life experience to be a coach. I am passionate about using my intuition, boundless creative thinking and business savvy to help others navigate through crisis and change.
Tami Palmer is available for private coaching regarding personal branding and has a workshop for corporations to bring to their employees. Are you interested in hearing more about her company, greyzone? Check out the website. Want to get to know Tami Palmer better? Read her bio here.
