The world today moves faster than ever before. It is so easy to get caught up in the 24/7 barrage of information and connectivity and never step back for a little self-evaluation. Allow me to suggest a few “what-if” questions to ask yourself. Some are logical, some are a bit off-the-wall, but the sum of your answers should provide an excellent snapshot of where your brand stands today.
What if you lost your job tomorrow?
I’m certain that for some of you, this question is more than future conjecture; it might be reality. For those currently unemployed, this “Help! I lost my job!” article might contain a few helpful resources. If you are pondering this “what-if” for the first time, ask yourself if you’d be devastated or relieved. If “devastated” – are you doing enough to make certain you keep your job? If “relieved” – might it be time look elsewhere and align your future goals with your personal brand?
What if you could not use your resume to impress prospective employers?
We’ve discussed this hypothetical situation before, when I asked if resumes would even be around in 10 years. Well…what if they didn’t exist, starting tomorrow? Imagine you had to prove your worth to a recruiter without the trusty resume as your sidekick. How impressive (or existent) would the following be:
- LinkedIn profile?
- LinkedIn references?
- Blog archives?
- YouTube channel?
- Twitter listings?
Ideally, you would knock a hiring manager’s socks off with any of the above tools. If not, time to get working!
What if your favorite social network disappeared tomorrow?
Admittedly, the percentage chance that Twitter or Facebook would suddenly disappear is infinitesimal. Yet, I think posing the question is still a valuable exercise. Specifically – if Twitter is your network of choice, how many of your connections do you really know? Do you have their e-mail addresses, phone numbers, or websites stored away? Personally, using this test, my 6,000 connections would instantly dwindle to around 100 – which is a bit scary. You?
What if you could turn your real passion into a lucrative career?
If you could instantly take your #1 life passion and transform it into a lasting, financially rewarding career, would you do it? Of course you would! So then, the real question is not “what if?”, but rather “how can I make it happen?”. Check out 50 of the weirdest jobs that actually exist, for creative inspiration. Then, watch this Gary Vaynerchuk speech for REAL inspiration (caution: strong language).
What if you could borrow attributes from other personal brands?
For me, this would be an easy question to answer – there are so many people I admire for very specific traits. I’d take Copyblogger’s wit, Melissa Cooley’s generosity, Dan Schawbel’s entrepreneurial spirit, and so on…what about you? After you ask and answer the “what if,” next ask what steps you can take to actually initiate change. The social web is full of brilliant, shining examples for us to emulate – but it is up to us to ultimately make the change.
Now, let me ask you – What question have I omitted that everyone should ask themselves today?
Do you have questions on personal branding in general? Ask Ryan Rancatore at Personal Branding 101, and your question might be featured in an upcoming blog post. Or, send an @RyanRancatore to Ryan on Twitter.
