Young Professional Forum - Your Personal Brand

Developing a personal brand can be challenging. Being a young professional in the employ of an organization with its own brand can often present as many questions as it does answers.
 
Professional career coach and former Tri Town Chamber president John Bates will be presenting Personal Branding for Young Professionals at the Chamber from 9:00-10:00am on Wednesday, July 20. While everyone is welcome, the focus will be on employees of member companies or solopreneurs who are in the early stages of their career path. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions, but several will be included in the core discussion:

1. What is a personal brand and why do I need one?
2. How do I create my own brand?
3. How do I create a brand if tons of other people are doing exactly the same work?
4. Is it OK for me to develop my own brand even though I work for someone else?
5. What if the brand I want to develop isn’t aligned with my employer’s brand?
6. Do I have to blog or be active in social media to drive my brand?
7. Is professional networking important to develop my own brand?
8. What is an elevator pitch, and do I really need one?
9. How do chambers of commerce or other professional groups play into my branding?
10. How will creating a personal brand help me in my job and in my career?

 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL FORUMS
Mission   To connect and develop young professionals in the Tri-Town area by providing networking opportunities, while gaining expert guidance from a variety of local business leaders, that promote the growth of peer relationships throughout our community.
How:   monthly meetings at the Chamber and area businesses to inform young professionals about Chamber members and help with common issues facing those starting their careers.
Why You, a Young Professional should attend:  This group is not the suit-and-tie, regimented, business pitch type of networking group. We are here to help develop skills and create meaningful connections in the area. There is no clock on how long you can talk about your business or professional needs. The Young Professionals group is here to help you develop your career.

• Learn skills for your career from local experts and each other.
• Meet people outside your business to build your network
• Potentially develop mentor-ship relationships.
• Open Doors to potential leadership roles on committees, ambassador, or board positions Developing relationships with local influential business professionals
• Kick start your career right here at Tri-Town Chamber
• Are you interested in getting more involved? Ask us how you can take a leadership role in the Young Professionals Leadership Forum.

 Why a Company should encourage Young Professional to be involved:
The purpose of the Young Professionals Leadership Forum is to provide professional development on a monthly basis to enhance your employee's experience, therefore enhancing the future of your company. Young professionals from your organization will join others for monthly facilitated conversations on topics important to professionals in today's market. Did you know according to the Bureau of Labor the average worker stays in their position for 4.4 years, but the average for young professionals is less than 3 years. With the cost of a new hire hovering between 1.5-3 times the annual salaries, this high turnover can get expensive. The Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce recognizes the importance of mitigating costs for its member and has developed a Young Professionals Leadership Forum.This group:

• Gives the young professional a way to network with peers in other businesses which could lead to future business and future employees.
• Supports internal development of the young professional.
• Potentially provides mentoring opportunities for the employee.
• Potentially provides leadership roles for ongoing development.
• Additional Benefits for You the Owner or Manager of the Company.
• We encourage you to spread the word to the young professionals in your organization. Please feel free to contact us with any questions