At FHWien der WKW’s annual Career Day, which took place on October 22 this year, students had the opportunity to meet representatives from 35 companies right on campus. In addition to services such as the popular application photo shoot and CV check with experts from Hays, there was a lecture program on the topic of “Personal Branding—The Underestimated Superpower” with branding expert Ilja Jay Lawal and cabaret artist and TikToker Dr. Bohl:
Ilja Jay Lawal and Dr. Bohl demonstrated how active personal branding and intrapreneurship promote career opportunities, visibility, and company growth.
Authentic, courageous, and consistent—that’s how Ilja Jay Lawal, graduate of FHWien der WKW, entrepreneur, and CEO of influencer and social media agency FOLLOW, and Paulus Bohl, alias Dr. Bohl, describe their paths to successful personal branding. In their talk at FHWien der WKW’s Career Day on October 22, they showed how self-marketing and entrepreneurial thinking can lead to long-term professional success.
Personal branding as the key to success
“Your personal brand enters the room before you do.” Ilja Jay Lawal opened his lecture on personal branding and intrapreneurship with this sentence. According to Lawal, a good image is not a coincidence, but the result of hard, continuous work. Those who strategically build their personal brand can not only improve their career opportunities, but also position themselves better within the company and score points in salary negotiations.
His four guiding principles are: Document, don’t create – make your everyday work visible; Your network is your net worth – relationships are just as valuable as know-how; Consistency builds credibility – only those who remain consistent build trust; and Own your narrative – those who determine how they are perceived actively steer their careers.
Entrepreneurial thinking within companies promotes growth
The FHWien der WKW graduate also addressed the importance of intrapreneurship—entrepreneurial thinking within the organization. The goal is to promote innovation, personal responsibility, and participation—an important aspect of modern corporate culture. Employees develop new ideas, drive projects forward independently, and take on responsibility beyond their actual tasks. They can contribute their strengths, thereby becoming more visible and actively developing themselves further. For companies, this means high employee retention on the one hand and more innovation, the opening of new business areas, and growth on the other.
Dr. Bohl in conversation: Authenticity as a factor for success
In conversation with Paulus Bohl, Lawal spoke about his experiences as a cabaret artist and content creator. From cabaret performances to social media to “Dancing Stars” – Dr. Bohl uses every stage to authentically develop his brand. In doing so, it is crucial to remain “cool, trustworthy, and genuine.” The cabaret artist and social media entertainer concluded by offering three personal tips for lasting success: 100% dedication—you should keep doing something until you are really good at it. The right environment—surrounding yourself with people who are honest, trustworthy, and supportive brings security and honest feedback. And finally: enjoy what you do – whether it’s about money, work-life balance, or inspiring colleagues, there should always be a certain fun factor involved.
Their joint conclusion: Personal branding and intrapreneurship are not trends, but key competencies for the future. Those who work on their brand with passion, courage, and perseverance create opportunities—for themselves and for the company.
Photos: © Adrian Almasan | www.adrianalmasan.com