Advance Insider: First-Hand Account from Building Your Personal Brand

First-hand accounts from motivated professional women on what inspired them to attend a Women of Influence Advancement Centre course. Discover how the program has helped them advance in their career goals, and turn their insights into action with Christine Laperriere’s expert advice on how to practice the skills within your current role.

Registrant: Journalist & Instructor

Course attended: Building Your Personal Brand

Why did you enrol and what big objectives do you have for 2015?
I’m a newcomer to the city and my career is in transition. I enrolled in the course to get tips on presenting my non-linear career path and experience in a way that resonates with others. My objective in 2015 is to set the stage for new professional opportunities to arise, and be ready to “bring it” when they do!

What was your biggest “a-ha!” moment from the course?
One of my biggest moments came from looking at the differences between how men and women present themselves and their professional experiences. The course helped me identify vocabulary, body language, and behaviour (don’t sit at the back of the room!) that get in the way of the message and image I want to project.

What did you learn or how will you improve yourself going forward?
“What got you to this point won’t necessarily get you to the next one,” was one of my key takeaways—I learned more effective ways to tell my story, and that I will need to keep editing it to get to the next chapter of my career.

Who would you recommend to take this course?
I would recommend the course for people in career transition, or those who are trying to get to the next level. How often do you get the opportunity to take a step back and look at your personal brand from a new angle? What are you presenting, and what do you want to present? Shoana is a down-to-earth facilitator who makes participants feel comfortable sharing their stories and learning from each other’s feedback. Everyone left the course feeling more inspired and confident about personal branding.

“Try this on your own and Advance Your Skills Today”

Expert Advice from Christine Laperierre Executive Director of the Women of Influence Advancement Centre

Would you like some quick tips on how to help you build your personal brand?

This article from Forbes gives great ideas you can use today.