About eight years ago when I didn't have a job, I headed off to my favourite hairdresser Stevie English and had my hair fully pinked! I was sick of playing it safe and hadn't really thought about the fact that a) I might be going to job interviews in the near future, and b) Whether my prospective employers would have an issue with pink hair.

I applied for a job online on a whim. Not because it looked interesting (because it didn't) but because I fit the exact criteria they were looking for. They wanted someone who had worked for an American distriution company, in an industrial market with APAC experience. The recruitment company called me within 20 minutes of applying and in no time I had an interview booked.

Cue me talking to my sister who was freaking out about me having pink hair and going to an interview. "What are you going to do?" she gasped! "I'm going to the interview and if they have an issue with my hair I don't want the job!" I said. Because at that point I didn't want the job. At the time I was a bit over American distribution companies in industrial markets.

Anyhoo, after various interviews on skype and in person, as well as a follow up meeting with the main leader I would be working with, I accepted the job. It actually turned out to be one of the best jobs in my career. I learnt heaps, met some fantastic leaders who I learnt a lot from and am still in contact with, and felt like I contributed and made a difference. And they dealt with my hair which I continued to dye pink.

A month or so after starting that job the leader I worked with said I was one of the only people he had worked with, who was the same person at interview, as on the job. That kinda freaked me out! What are people doing at interview? Or at work? Are they pretending to be someone else? Are they frustrated actors? Far out.

Hands up who enjoyed this week's Wine O'clock series on personal branding? Me! Even though I think about this topic a fair bit I still learnt lots. For me personal branding is about knowing who you are, how you want to portray yourself and how this supports what you do in life. Then it's being consistent but also flexible with your style across different situations and social media platforms. You know like turning out to be the same person in an interview, as on the job.

Emily Draycott-Jones joined me in an engaging conversation, and here is my wrap-up:

1. Your personal brand is what people say about you when you leave the room

So how can you work out what people say about you? You ask! Scary right? But ask some people you trust to be honest and helpful. And ask some people who may have been critical of you in the past. Be curious. Ask questions. Listen. Don't be defensive. Take notes.

I once got some feedback that a Senior Leader always knew "HR" was in the room when I was there. Unfortunately he lacked the courage to tell me directly, and another leader had to tell me, but I did take that feedback on board and endeavoured to be more involved in business discussions and decisions because I wanted my brand to be about being commercial and pragmatic.

2. First impressions count

Usually this refers to meeting people in person. Will we ever meet people in person again?? But personal branding has become much more important in the land of the internet and Zoom calls. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and your own website (plus a whole lot of other platforms I know nothing about), are ways to represent your personal brand online.

Think about how the Khardashians use Instagram (go on. Have a look!). Think about how Trump users Twitter (ok I know you don't want to!). Think about how some people you follow use Facebook to build their community and support their brand. More than ever it's important to think about how you portray yourself and your brand on these platforms.

In general terms it's important to think about your photos (get some professional ones), background images and banners (there are lots of sites where you can download free images) and the words you use. These need to represent what you are about (see having an authenic story below).

On the Wine O'clock series we talked about what content we put on each platform and that while this needs to be consistent with your personal brand, you may want to consider what you put on Facebook versus what you put on LinkedIn. Photos of boozey nights out with your friends are fine on Facebook, but perhaps not aligned with the more professional brand you want to represent on LinkedIn.

3. Have an authentic story

One of my favourite parts of The Wine O'clock series was the part on telling your story or elevator pitch. This is such a useful thing to have sorted. You would use this in many situations like networking events, meeting new people professionally, in your career generally and trying to get that next role.

Emily gave us a simple structure to help us craft our story: Who are you? What do you do? What makes you unique? How do you do it and who does it affect? I love these Santa Claus examples she provided:

Santa Claus is the CEO of a non-profit organisation that gives gifts to children globally. With decades of experience in supply chain management and manufacturing, Claus has helped turn Christmas into the modern celebration that it is today.

Or

Santa Claus is the jolly grandfatherly figure behind the single biggest gift-giving operation in the world. Known for his spectacular flying reindeer and wacky chimney delivery system, Claus has become a loved cultural icon who has turned Christmas into the modern celebration that it is today

I would love to hear about one or two things you took away from the Wine O'clock Series on best personal branding. Hit me up!

Lisa xx