Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand

Career Distinction is really the bible of career branding for today's increasingly portable worker. I love the focus on proactivity -- and the step-by-step instructions on how to build a brand presence in one's niche (and how to niche!) Understanding and leveraging personal branding and value is going to be the difference between panic and power in today's job market -- where stability is gone and we're more likely to become serial freelancers than long-term hires. And heck, it lets us have more fun at work because the clarity of branding gives us a great shot at getting hired to do what we love to do, with people we love to do it with. Not bad!

Many books on personal branding today still address personal branding as something that you create and design - like a product. With the 1-2-3 Success methodology, Arruda & Dixson espouse the philosophy that a personal brand is something that is uncovered from our soul. It is about being authentic. As a professional coach who works with people aspiring to move up to the corporate suite, my primary focus is to help mid- to upper-level management find that spark or passion in their lives and build the career of their dreams. Personal branding is a critical element in my work and Career Distinction is one of the best tools out there. I have been so impressed with the book that I use it as a textbook for my workshops and seminars and recommend it to my individual clients. The personal branding process is much like peeling an artichoke. The goal is to get to the heart of who we are. I have used William Arruda's methodology in the past with amazing results. The 1-2-3 Success process developed by Arruda is clearly laid out in the book with many relevant examples to drive the points home. With or without a coach, this book will help guide you to discovering your authentic self.

Way back in 2001, when I and other career professionals were conducing career workshops for outplaced individuals, it was often a useful exercise to ask participants to consider themselves as their own unique "Brand You." Taking tips from Tom Peters' work, we found ways to enhance traditional job search approaches and tools to help our clients stand out. Still, we lacked a comprehensive system to make personal branding a completely effective career management strategy. Interestingly, in that same year, William Arruda founded Reach Communications Consulting, and got to work establishing a highly-effective personal branding process called 1-2-3 Success! In this new book, after dispelling branding myths, the authors discuss the phases of this process, offering practical advice on extracting, expressing, and exuding one's brand. As well, the authors support using the process with a downloadable workbook, and with access to the online 360Reach Personal Branding Assessment. The value of having access to this process and these tools easily exceeds the price of the book. Yet, there is so much more in this remarkable volume. First, the authors make a compelling case for the role of branding in their examination of radical changes in the world of work. They then go on to establish four principles of the career distinction mindset. Taken together, these principles further support the case for personal branding as the most effective approach to career management and success... ... but wait, there's more! Given recruiters' increasing use of Google to identify prospective talent or to make decisions on job candidates, the authors leverage Kirsten Dixson's expertise to help the reader begin to take steps to manage his or her career online. "Assessing Your Online Identity" walks the reader through the steps of determining his or her digital profile. Then, "Building Your Brand in Bits and Bytes" discusses practical and accessible ways to create an on-brand, online presence using blogs, web portfolios, and online networking. Overall, I believe this book will become the career management standard. Everything in it is fresh, relevant, and thought provoking. Best of all: it works! Whether you begin applying its lessons on your own, or (ideally) invest in working with a certified Personal Branding Strategist, you will put yourself squarely on the path to more career distinction and to owning your success!

This is a must read book for all executives! Personal branding takes executives to a higher level where they are projecting an authentic, unique, compelling brand that sets them apart from the competition. As an executive coach, I use Career Distinction's fabulous branding process of Extract (chapters 4-7), Express (chapters 8-11) and Exude (chapters 12-14) with all of my clients. Here's what Carlos, one of my executive clients in Minneapolis, MN says about his experience with Career Distinction's 3-step branding process: "I have a much clearer view of what I do, how I do it, and why it works for me. Instead of just being successful professionally and making money, I have a much better understanding of how to attain fulfillment, happiness, and balance. Today my work is still a fundamental part of my life but is no longer the center of my life. My branding statement is: `A passionate, multicultural, and enterprising leader who recognizes and seizes opportunities, exhibits savvy in relating to others, and achieves dramatic results by orchestrating, negotiating, and closing win-win deals.' And, my tagline is `Strategy-Orchestration-Negotiation.'"

I've been contemplating switching jobs and industries. A friend recommended this book to me and I just finished it. This book will change the way you think about yourself and how to approach your career. In a world where employers can "google" any prospect, everyone needs to think about their career identity as they climb the corporate ladder. This book allows you to create and control your business identity and will teach you how to : brand yourself, build your online business identity; create your own story and goals. A must read for anyone looking for a new job-- or improving the way their current employer views them.