Lean In: How to Build Your Personal Brand as an NP or PA

Your NP or PA brand is your reputation. It’s the perception that others have of you both inside, and outside, your organization. What does your brand say about you?

Did you know that how you show up day in and day out becomes your brand? That’s why I frequently speak to Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants about the importance of brand building. Your brand is fundamentally who you are, what you believe in, what your values are, and what drives your communication with others.

Managing your brand then, is being intentional about how you act, how you communicate, and how you make choices throughout your Advanced Practice career. Let me share a story that proves this point.

How Laura’s “Brand” Led to Her NP Dream Job

At Melnic, we’ve seen this principle play out over and over. Recently, I worked with a new NP grad named Laura. During her student clinicals, Laura worked with critically ill cancer patients in the PICU. She distinctly remembers a conversation with the parents of a little girl who was terminally ill. As they talked, the parents mentioned another daughter, and it struck Laura that she’d never met her patient’s sister.

At this point in the conversation, Laura was about to tell a story about her own sister. But, she stopped, realizing there was something else she needed to do. Out of empathy for the family, and with a full understanding of her patient’s condition, she strongly encouraged the parents to bring the sisters together. At that point, the best care she could give was helping the family take advantage of every opportunity to spend time together.

Several months later, Laura applied for a Hem/Onc Nurse Practitioner job. The interviewing physician asked several questions, but Laura’s answers gave him the impression she didn’t have the level of experience he was looking for.

Then, he asked one final question: “Describe a difficult experience you’ve had with a patient.” Laura told her story about the sisters in the PICU. The physician recognized that Laura had empathy, situational awareness, and a passion for the role. He could train her to do the job, but he couldn’t train someone to care deeply for patients. So, she got the job.

A Roadmap for Brand Management for NPs and PAs

Are you inspired to more actively manage your own brand? Here are five components that make up your professional reputation as an NP or PA.

1.      Your clinical skills
2.      Your interpersonal skills
3.      Your contribution to team dynamics
4.      Your professionalism and ability to manage challenging situations
5.      Your investment in professional development

How are you doing in these areas? Are you stronger in some of these areas than others? Is there one area that stands out as needing a little extra effort? Building a brand takes time, but every little improvement adds up and will ultimately benefit your career in the long run.

Next week, I’ll reveal the brand killer that often goes undiagnosed, and a prescription to turn it around as a healthy driver for your success! Stay tuned.

Put Your Brand on Paper with a Great Curriculum Vitae

Creating and maintaining a curriculum vitae, more commonly known as a CV, can be a great way to more actively manage your brand. As we mentioned on the blog last week, for NPs and PAs, a CV is a “living document” that tells your professional story year after year. It is a comprehensive record of your qualifications, and therefore a reflection of your brand.

There’s no reason to start writing your PA or NP CV from scratch. We’ve developed a free CV template for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants based on our years of experience and research in Advanced Practice Staffing. Click the link below to download it today!

Get Your Free Sample CV for NPs and PAs

Advance Your Career with Melnic

Melnic is a nationwide search firm focused on Advanced Practice placements for APRNs and PAs. To take advantage of our specialized job matching services review our current job opportunities and create your free Melnic Profile. The best part? There is never a fee for candidates to work with us!