When you think about branding, you usually think about the company logo and all the marketing that goes into making your business identity resonate with your clients. But did you know that branding is just as important for you as an individual as it is for your company?
This is especially true if you’re an Executive Assistant or Administrative Professional.
Today’s administrative professionals don’t just manage calendars and logistics. They manage priorities, people, and even projects. As a matter of fact, depending on their specific position and seniority, some EAs could even have key decision-making and project coordination roles. Things that really emphasize the “executive” part of the job description.
Their influence behind the scenes is often what keeps an office running smoothly.
Cultivating a personal brand helps you gain recognition for your vital contributions to all these tasks, which ultimately helps with career mobility.
Wouldn’t it be better to have your strengths, skills and experiences attached to a professionally curated public image that gets noticed instead of remaining anonymous?
Many executive assistants and administrative professionals still have a misconception that personal branding is not for them for a number of reasons; their work is “behind-the-scenes”, they’re not looking for leadership roles, branding is too self-promotional or they simply don’t know how to do it.
Here’s some sobering truths.
The reality is that regardless of your specific job or workplace culture, personal branding is the best way to ensure that your professional value is noticed. Done right, it helps you gain a level of visibility and growth that wouldn’t be available to you otherwise.
In today’s world, to get noticed is to get ahead.
Here are a few key reasons why personal branding is important to you.
Executive assistants and administrative professionals are often the first point of contact between the company and high-profile clients or potential partners. Naturally, when you’re managing communication and meetings between senior leaders, your tone and professionalism should reflect the very best of your company’s values.
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One could say that should be an expectation of everyone in any corporate organization, but as your boss’ right-hand person, it behooves you to create a strong presence for yourself that reflects well on your management and makes you personally stand out.
Clients will remember the punctual facilitator with articulate speaking skills and a reliable work ethic. Leave a positive enough impression and you become their go-to liaison contact for your company.
The role of administrative personnel is no longer just to be an extra pair of hands to manage random errands others don’t have time to do. In fact, these roles were never meant to be menial. Assistants and admins have always been preoccupied with important tasks such as organizing the meetings and logistics of everything on their boss’ calendars.
Today however, they have to do all that with new technology and more packed calendars across multiple platforms. Something that demands way more proactive involvement in office management. A ripe opportunity for any executive assistant or admin staff looking to make a name for themselves in the company.
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If you have a talent working with new tech, play a role in introducing the integration of platform management software such as Trello or even new A.I. apps in office operations.
If you have a knack for strategic organizing, find a way to gain more executive decision-making power in project and stakeholder management.
If you’re creative, find a way to leverage that into content creation.
There are several ways and tools to help you stand out in the workplace. Where you bring value, you will be remembered and (eventually) rewarded.
The role of executive assistant or administrative professional used to be called “secretary”. And it’s exactly for the reason you think.
People in your line of work were entrusted with details and confidential matters that couldn’t leave the office. Having a reputation for reliability and being able to get things done on a “need to know” basis is still an effective way to build a personal brand as an admin today.
Being known as the go-to person who can get things done efficiently and with discretion automatically increases your visibility in most networking circles even outside your immediate team. Everyone’s always looking for access to a gatekeeper who can facilitate a meeting with the management or get them in touch with the talent they need for their team.
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This is also how you build stronger relationships with your connections. If your assistance pays dividends, your credibility increases and the more others will want to keep you in their close contacts list. Your peers and colleagues become your informal PR team vouching for you and your problem-solving skills to anyone in need of them.
Play your cards right and before you know it you’ll be afforded the opportunity to get into more rooms, exchange more ideas, gain more insight and have the chance to showcase your leadership from a more senior position.
Your personal branding is yours alone to curate. Do not let others do it for you because only you should have the final say on your public image.
The first step to personal branding is all about introspection. Ask yourself a few things:
The first question is the most important - what is the professional reputation you currently have and do you want it to keep defining who you are at the workplace.
The reality is that if you haven’t been intentionally cultivating a reputation in the office, others have been doing it for you based on their own assumptions about who you are and what you’re capable of. Sometimes these can be complimentary and sometimes not, but more importantly, these assumptions may not accurately reflect your true value to the company.
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Are you known as a detail-oriented person? A tech-savvy person? Or perhaps a diplomatic, calm-under-fire kind of character in the office?
Once you discover the image you already have, ask yourself if this is the foundation you want for your personal branding or does it need to change.
A good way to answer that question is to ask yourself if you were put in charge of a high-stakes project on the assumption that you could complete it based on your current reputation, would you want that or would it make you feel uncomfortable? The answer determines whether you should build on your current reputation to help you stand out further or if you need to do some rebranding.
At the end of the day, your personal branding is not just for show. It’s a promise.
A promise to others that you can deliver what you’re known for and a promise to yourself that you can grow beyond where you presently are.
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