Everyone says that we have to know ourselves. But have you ever really tried to figure out who you are? Sit quietly for one moment and think about this, and ask yourself the following questions:

What are your roles? How would someone else describe your role(s)? What is your job title  and what does this title mean to you? What do you call yourself? How do you introduce yourself to someone else?

We all have different roles to portray.

Your roles could cover a whole range: daughter/son; employee; parent; student; employer; aunt/uncle; coach; entrepreneur – the list goes on.

Now let’s talk about your job titles. Do you think of yourself as a writer, a consultant, a teacher, a mentor? Maybe, all three. Narrow down what you are and what you want your clients to see you as, your particular brand. Knowing your role and your personality is vital to your career development. 

Do you have a set job title in your current work, or have you simply created a job title for yourself? If you are an entrepreneur, are you the president of your company, the CEO or the senior consultant? Do you see yourself in any of these positions. If not, you are not ready to embark on this job title. You must work toward achievement in any of these areas.

Perhaps you have not even thought of a job title for yourself. If not, why not? What is stopping you? Write this down. Look at it daily.

What do you call yourself?

In your own mind, what do you call yourself? What is your role, job, title or rank? When did you start thinking of yourself that way? What events brought you to that concept? 

Assuming that you have determined that they are seeking this quality, affirm that you have these qualities and give examples to support this. 

What is your role, job, title or rank?

How do you introduce yourself?

When you meet someone for the first time how do you introduce yourself? If asked what you do, how do you describe it? Write a one paragraph description of who you are. This is known as your ’30-second advert’. You must know and be clear about who you are and what you do. Communication of this is key to any business.

Once you have done this, look through your description and read it carefully. Think about someone you admire who fits the general description you have created for yourself. If you were to describe this person, what different words would you use and why? Write a few of these words down now.

Why do these words not describe you? In other words, what can you do differently to be like the person you admire? 

Dr Joyce Knudsen is the founder and president of The ImageMaker Communications Group and Associates. They offer all of their talents to present your best impression on social media. Moreover, Dr Joyce is at your disposal for online consulting via Skype. Dr Joyce’s work has been time-tested and validated by hundreds of people who have gone on to become successful in their chosen endeavour. You can connect with her on Twitter @drjoyce_knudsen