By Rhymer Rigby , Financial Times, 15 Nov 2009

The insecurity created by the downturn has prompted many people to reassess whether they are projecting the right image in the workplace. For some, the conclusion is that they need to rebrand themselves.

Is Rebranding just like a makeover?

Far from it. Like businesses, individuals often need to rebrand themselves when perceptions do not accurately reflect the underlying reality. “You might have joined a business very young and grown up,” says Wally Olins, chairman of Saffron Brand Consultants, “but people still perceive you as the office junior.”

Equally, it could be that part of who you are is having a disproportionately negative impact on your overall image – for example, a messy desk could cast you as disorganised or a tendency to raise your voice could lead to the perception that you are unreasonable.

Are there any easy wins?

There are plenty of little, cosmetic things that can tarnish your brand, says Kim Fletcher, managing director of Trinity Management Communications. “I used to cycle in and instead of changing immediately, I’d answer a call and before I knew it, I’d been working for an hour in scruffy old clothes,” he says. “Looking like that at your desk does belittle you in other people’s eyes.”

Addressing areas such as this is a quick way to brush up your workplace image. “Try and see yourself through your colleagues’ eyes and write down a list of things you need to work on,” he says.

What if my brand has more fundamental problems?

In this case, you may need to dig deeper. “The key is discovering what people find compelling about you and building on that foundation,” says Louise Mowbray, a personal branding consultant. She suggests you go to your “market” or “audience” – colleagues, senior managers or suppliers – and ask them how they perceive you, what irritates them and what they like. Then work on the bad points and deliver on the good ones. “It’s about adding value and giving people what they want consistently,” she says. “Consistency builds trust in a personal brand.”

You need to find your niche, then get your name out as the person to go to for whatever it is. Ms Mowbray adds that this should be subtle: “Arrange for a speaker to come in who’s an expert in your area and do the organising; some of their brand will rub off on you. Blog. Write articles. Show people how great you are – don’t tell them.”

How long does it take?

Just as it takes a long time to create bad perceptions, erasing them can’t be done overnight.

What if there are failings from your past that are not so easy to consign to history?

Mr Olins says you can’t deal with problems by ignoring them – if you worked for a failed bank, being upfront about it may help your brand recover but pretending it never happened won’t. But there are limits to what a rebranding can achieve. There is the so-called “career-limiting move” – a mistake so egregious, you never recover. “Some events are so strong you can’t dissociate yourself from them,” says Mr Fletcher. “In this case, you need to move jobs. That’s the best rebranding opportunity of all.”