The power of your personal brand and how to build it

In today’s digital world, it’s essential to have a strong personal brand in order to stand out from the competition. We explore how a personal brand can increase your value to employers – whether you’re looking for a role or hoping to progress.

3 mins read
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about 1 year ago

​​​​Personal branding is the practice of creating, managing, and influencing your own brand. Everything you want people to know about you is your personal brand. While you can’t control how others perceive you, you can take strides to ensure you highlight the best parts of yourself. It involves taking control of how you present yourself to the world and making sure you are seen in a positive light.

The adage ‘It’s not what you know but who you know’ isn’t exactly true – it’s more about who knows you and how they see you. It’s not only professional accolades that help professionals progress in their careers, but who they are as people as well.

Just as a company works to promote its business to clients, customers, candidates and employees, to stand out from competitors, individuals can also market themselves to employers and other professional contacts in their network. Your experience, expertise, values, personality and everything that makes you unique can contribute to your personal brand.

How to build your personal brand

Here are some tips to help get you started and keep up the momentum:

1. Define your target audience

Knowing who you want to reach with your personal brand is essential for success. Research your target audience and consider what kind of content, tone and style of communication will resonate with them.

2. Set yourself apart

Your brand must be an honest representation of yourself if you are to highlight your unique skills and traits. Think about the qualities and experiences you can use to set yourself apart and emphasise how you’re different from others.

3. Create a compelling message

What values do you stand for as a person? Creating a tagline or mission statement is a great way to articulate your personal brand in a concise, memorable way. Your message should be one of positivity and optimism.

4. Build an online presence

Social media is essential for building an online presence. Choose the platforms that make the most sense for your target audience and start creating content around your personal brand. You might decide to build your own website as well – some use this as a way of showcasing their portfolio of previous work and their ‘about me’ page.

5. Be a thought leader

Sharing your knowledge with others adds value to your social media profiles and people will recognise you as an authoritative voice on a subject and a trustworthy source of information.

6. Be approachable

While you want to show your professionalism, you don’t want to overdo it by using jargon or words that most people wouldn’t use in everyday conversation. Using language that shows you’re a person and not a corporate robot will help others identify with you.

7. Be consistent

In order to ensure your brand is successful, you need to be consistent. Keep your message and branding consistent across all your platforms and maintain an active presence. This shows your authenticity and builds trust in your audience.

8. Keep up with trends

To ensure your brand stays relevant and cutting-edge, you must be up to date with trends and know what people are interested in now. Stay abreast of industry news, what your competition is doing and check in regularly with your contacts.

9. Monitor your progress

Set goals, track your progress and measure the success of your efforts. Use analytics tools to analyse the data and adjust your tactics accordingly. Everything you do must be intentional and have a purpose.

10. Network

Networking is essential to building a successful personal brand. Develop meaningful relationships with your peers in the industry and look for opportunities to collaborate.

11. Take constructive criticism

Most people will shy away from criticism they don’t want to hear, but it’s useful for improving your personal brand and adjusting your strategy. Listening to your audience is another way to connect with them and keep learning.

Building a strong personal brand takes some work, but it’s worth it in the end, allowing you to unlock new opportunities and set yourself up for success.

To find your next opportunity, or the perfect professional to join your team, contact us today.​

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How to become a Teaching Assistant

​What do I need to become a teaching assistant in the UAE?

To become a teaching assistant in the UAE, you will typically need a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. Some schools may require additional qualifications, such as a teaching assistant certificate or relevant experience in education. It's also important to have a strong command of the English language, as many schools in the UAE use English as the primary language of instruction.

One way to enhance your qualifications as a teaching assistant is to complete a teaching assistant training program. These programs provide valuable insights into the role of a teaching assistant and equip you with the necessary skills to support teachers and students effectively. Additionally, gaining experience through volunteer work or internships in educational settings can help you stand out to potential employers.

What does a teaching assistant do?

First and foremost, it's important to understand the responsibilities of a teaching assistant.

The main role of a Teaching Assistant (also known as TA or Classroom Assistant) is to provide support and assistance to a teacher, making sure students are given all the help they need to get the most out of their education.

The key duties of a TA will usually include, although not be limited to, the following:

  • Providing support to children with mathematics, reading and writing on an individual, class or small group basis

  • Proving one-on-one help to children who require it

  • Giving further attention to children with any other special needs or requirements

  • Motivating and encouraging pupils

  • Supervising students at lunch, on events or trips and for special activities

  • Taking care of various admin tasks, including preparing materials for lessons, photocopying, laminating and marking papers

Is a career as a teaching assistant right for me?

To be successful in this position, having a passion for working with children is essential, as well as a genuine interest in education. You will also need exceptional communication skills and must be able to motivate pupils who may sometimes be unruly or lack confidence.

Other key skills and attributes include:

  • A friendly and approachable nature

  • Excellent reading, writing, numeracy and listening skills

  • Flexibility and versatility

  • Ability to build relationships with both staff and students, but also display a good level of discipline when required

  • A passion for teaching

  • Patience

Career progression

What’s the initial salary for a teaching assistant?

The salary for a teaching assistant starts from AED 3000 and can go up to AED 6000 monthly.

How long to go from a teaching assistant to a teacher?

The eligibility to start teaching depends on existing qualifications and any additional credentials needed. For individuals with a B.Ed., they can commence teaching straight away. Otherwise, obtaining a teaching diploma, such as a PGCE, PGDE, or Cache level, is necessary. The duration of these programs varies, typically spanning from one to at least two years.

What is the average salary for a teacher in Dubai?

Teacher salaries in Dubai are dependent on various factors, including experience, qualifications, school type, and curriculum. On average, a teacher's salary can range from AED 10,000 to AED 20,000 per month. Please note that these figures are approximate and are subject to change. Additionally, teachers may receive extra benefits, such as accommodation, health insurance, tuition fee concessions, and annual flights to their home country.

How to become a head teacher?

Becoming a head teacher in Dubai involves obtaining a bachelor's degree in education or related fields, followed by optional master's degrees in educational leadership or administration. Accumulating teaching experience and progressing into leadership roles like department head or assistant principal is crucial to demonstrating effective leadership. Meeting certification and licensing requirements is necessary for eligibility. Applying for head teacher roles requires highlighting leadership experience and educational philosophy.

Salary for a head teacher?

Head teacher salaries in Dubai vary based on school type, experience, qualifications, and responsibilities. Typically higher than regular teachers, they range from around AED 25,000 to AED 40,000 monthly. Benefits like accommodation, health insurance, tuition fee concession and annual flights home may also be included, affecting the overall compensation package.

If you are looking for the next step in your career or to hire for your school, contact one of our experts today.

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Workplace monitoring: guidance for your organisation

​​In the past, workplace monitoring was relatively simplistic: employers relied on visual supervision and basic timekeeping systems, and the concept of privacy was limited.

Fast forward to the digital age. Employee monitoring has reached new levels of sophistication and become common practice for employers seeking to boost productivity, enhance security, and ensure compliance with regulations.

Improved productivity and deeper insights

With the advancement of technology, including GPS tracking, computer monitoring software, and biometric identification systems, surveillance can provide employers with detailed insights into employee activities and performance.

One of the key benefits of employee monitoring is the ability to track and improve productivity levels. By monitoring employees' activities, employers can identify inefficiencies, analyse workflow processes, and provide targeted feedback to enhance performance. This data-driven approach allows companies to optimise their operations, allocate resources effectively, and ultimately improve their bottom line.

Monitoring can also help employers identify and address issues such as time theft, excessive breaks, and unauthorised activities in the workplace. With real-time monitoring tools, employers can detect irregularities and take corrective actions promptly, therefore improving accountability and integrity among employees.

Employee monitoring can also aid in compliance with regulations and industry standards. By keeping a close eye on electronic communications, websites visited, and files accessed, employers can ensure that employees adhere to data protection laws, maintain confidentiality, and comply with company policies. This proactive approach minimises the risk of data breaches and security incidents and also protects the company from potential legal liabilities.

Balancing surveillance and ethics

Despite the clear advantages of employee monitoring, it is crucial for organisations to approach this practice with sensitivity and respect for staff privacy. As a matter of course, employers should establish clear policies regarding monitoring practices, communicate openly with employees about the purpose and scope of monitoring, and ensure transparency in the use of monitoring tools.

Prioritise the protection of sensitive employee data by implementing robust security measures, restricting access to monitoring data, and complying with data protection regulations such as GDPR. These considerations can ease employees’ minds about any surveillance and even instil appreciation for such measures. After all, workplace security is in everyone’s best interests.

Download our best practice guide to employee monitoring

Our eBook, ‘Employee monitoring: a guide to best practices’ provides insight into how employers might best integrate employee monitoring into their organisation, and considerations for what the impact may be on employees. With opinion from thought leaders, it addresses everything from pre-employment checks to the tracking tech that might be right your organisation.

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Looking to hire top talent for your organisation or to find your next dream role? Get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.

Employee monitoring: a guide to best practices
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​Employee monitoring can help ensure productivity and accountability among employees, as managers can track their work progress and identify areas where improvement is needed. Monitoring enhances data security by detecting and preventing unauthorised access or data breaches and additionally, it enables you to adhere to regulatory and compliance requirements, reducing legal risks. 

The key thing to remember is that workplace surveillance is perfectly acceptable, as long as you can legally justify your reasons, and it is always better to be ‘overt’, not ‘covert’.  

A report shows that despite normality returning to working life post-pandemic, demand for employee surveillance software is 49% above 2019 levels. 

Our eBook, ‘Employee monitoring: a guide to best practices’, provides insight from top experts in the field including:    

Keith Rosser, Director of Group Risk and Reed Screening, Reed 

Hayfa Mohdzaini, Senior Research Adviser, CIPD

 By downloading this eBook, you will discover:   

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  • Whether it's needed for your business

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  • The benefits and drawbacks  

  • Potential impact of surveillance on the workforce 

  • Your duties as a responsible employer 

“Monitoring software that employees see as intrusive and unnecessary is more likely to erode mutual trust in the employment relationship. Employers need to show how using monitoring software can benefit employees, while respecting their privacy.” -Hayfa Mohdzaini, Senior Research Adviser, CIPD.