BRAND YOU: HOW TO NETWORK AND BUILD A SUCCESSFUL, PROFESSIONAL BRAND

ARTICLE FROM BLACK

WRITTEN BY YOJI COLE

Your professional brand is a set of traits that identify you – your calling card. It is what people think when they think of you.

It is more than your particular area of expertise. It is more than who you know. Your brand is everything that defines you in the minds of your colleagues, supervisors and senior leaders. It is not only defined by your work ethic and work product, but also by who knows your positive traits and can champion them on your behalf.

“You have to think of yourself as a brand,” says James Wright manager of talent acquisition pipeline development at NBCUniversal. “When people hear your name they should think of excellence especially for minorities. If you’re a minority you get one shot and if that shot isn’t of caliber you may ruin it for yourself and other minorities.”

That is a heavy weight for executives of color to shoulder. But in the corporate world, especially the corporate media world, the reality is that people hire people they like, know and respect.

“In this [media] industry it’s almost always who you know,” says Wright. “Most people of color don’t understand the importance of not only having a good education and resume, but also and sometimes more importantly, networking and building relationships.”

Wright himself is an example of an excellently credentialed executive who took the time to network and develop relationships, without which, NBCUniversal would never have called him.

“I cite networking solely for my landing my current role at NBCUniversal,” says Wright.

Wright, without knowing it, started networking for his current position in 2002 when he was working at AOL/Time Warner. During those years he met Deb Langford, who was making a name for herself as a Fortune 500 executive recruiter through her success as Vice

President Strategic Sourcing at AOL/Time Warner.

Wright left AOL, and while looking for work, volunteered as the vice president of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR). One of his responsibilities was to develop for members a panel discussion on the importance of networking in business and specifically the entertainment industry. Langford was his first choice for keynote speaker.

At the event, Wright, when introducing Langford to the NAAAHR crowd, mentioned he was looking for work. Langford took to the lectern and told Wright she expected to receive his resume. Along with his resume Wright sent three cupcakes – Langford’s favorite dessert.

Moreover, Wright helped Langford. Langford was also president of the National Association of Multiethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and organizing her own event sponsored by the Walt Disney Co. For it to be a success she needed at least 100 more executives to attend. Wright immediately engaged his social networks and delivered more than the 100 executives Langford needed. In doing so he demonstrated gratitude, resourcefulness, proactive willingness to help and executive execution. Most importantly he created his brand in Langford’s mind.

Langford, following her time at Time Warner, became NBCUniversal’s Vice President Inclusion and Business Diversity. She championed Wright to her senior leaders. He wasn’t hired immediately. It took several months and at least eight “get to know you” interviews before NBCUniversal executives created his current position, manager of talent acquisition, pipeline development.

“Before asking anyone for anything, you should always provide support and/or services at least two to three times before asking for one favor,” says Wright. “I believe it’s imperative to understand that a key component of networking is helping – not taking. In that process of helping someone, you in turn develop a relationship that inspires that person to introduce you to internal leaders at companies that could later become your employer.”

So network strategically. Learn the areas in which your mentors and senior leaders need help and showcase your abilities by lending a helping hand. Establish a significant presence on professional social networking Websites, such as LinkedIn and others that are specific to your industry of choice. Utilize the Web sites to contact recruiters and/or executives who work for a desired employer.

Also, to meet people of influence at other companies, join professional organizations specific to your industry and those organizations that are not specific to your industry, but may feature executives you want to know. And don’t be afraid to join organizations that seem to be for “other” people.

For example, if you are African American and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs is holding a mixer in your area, then you should attend. If you are an engineer and the local National Association of Black Journalists is holding an event at which representatives from your desired employer will be attending, then you should attend.

“Don’t think that you shouldn’t go because you’re not of the ethnicity represented at the event,” says Wright. He remembers an executive he recruited at a National Black MBA conference two years ago. That executive was Asian American.

“I don’t care where we find you,” says Wright. “We want to find you. But you have to be in the place where people are looking for diverse talent. It’s about the human factor. Your success will come with the cosigning of others who say, ‘I like this person. I trust this person. You should hire them.’”