Building your portfolio as a professional often requires a significant contribution of both time and resources. It isn’t always an easy thing to do, so it may be in your best interest to protect your investment. In light of this, it’s imperative that you learn how to avoid anything that could tarnish your image or take you backward career-wise. As it is often said, prevention is better than cure, so you should consider the positive and negative implications of major decisions before making them. On those premises, you’re going to find a few tips on protecting your image as a professional below.
Develop the Right Associations
If you want to protect your image as a professional, one of the first things that may be worth doing is developing positive associations. As it is often said, people tend to judge you by the people you associate with, so choose those associations wisely. To surround yourself with the right people, firstly think about whether or not your values match before getting too close. In addition to this, its often better to choose people who have better skills, cognitive abilities, experience, and talent than you as it’s a way to challenge yourself to grow.
Get Everything in Writing
Another tip for protecting your image as a professional is to get everything in writing. This is important as you never know what other people’s true intentions are and it can also help save you from misunderstandings and broken agreements. Things can also become worse in a situation that legal measures are taken against you. If, for instance, you’re accused of bribing someone during a business deal, you could end up needing a bribery lawyer and going to court. However, when you learn to have important negotiations in writing or with a third-party present, it’s easier to protect your brand in the long run.
Build a Positive Brand
In addition to the mentioned, if you want to protect your image as a professional, it’s imperative that you build a positive brand. As you likely already know, both businesses and individuals are understanding the power of good branding nowadays and making it a priority to improve theirs. If you want to improve your brand as a professional, you could decide to:
• Run personal branding campaigns on Facebook
• Become a guest poster on prominent blogs
• Brand your social media platforms
• Become an authority in your niche
Add Value
When you’re able to find ways to add value to people’s lives, they’re much more likely to remember you in a positive light. You should, therefore, see how you can genuinely help those around you whether it be by offering your skills or expertise. By doing so, you’re adding value to people’s lives and leaving a positive legacy for yourself.
Often, it’s easy to get carried away as a professional and forget that your career is at stake. However, the wrong decision or association could have damaging effects, so it’s imperative that you’re as careful as possible. As mentioned above, associating yourself with the right people, getting important things in writing, and getting the right branding can go a long way in helping protect the image you’ve likely worked hard to build.
