The Female Brand: Using the Female Mindset to Succeed in Business

Ask yourself this question: what is your unique quality or attribute that makes you an asset to a company? Can you answer that? Whether you are a recent graduate or have been laid off from your job, you need to know how to market yourself and create your own brand. That's where Catherine Kaputa comes in with The Female Brand: she teaches how to brand yourself and helps you stand out from the rest of the applicant pool.

Throughout the book, Kaputa recognizes the differences between the female and male gender, and how they work differently in the corporate world. However, Kaputa emphasizes to her readers NOT to act like men, but use their feminine qualities to their advantage. Examples include being a team person instead of the barking leader, using your intuition to understand people, and having an unique image. When Kaputa discusses image, it's not about being a beauty queen, but projecting your confidence. This could be a suit that makes you feel like a million bucks, or (for me) a pair of cool glasses that always get noticed.

The emphasis of the book is to catapult women to the CEO and other top corporate positions. Besides the branding lessons by Kaputa, every chapter ends with a story by a successful woman who tells her story and her rise on the corporate ladder. In addition, inspirational quotes appear before each story from other powerful women.

As a member of the Class of 2009, every single section of The Female Brand was essential. It has taught me to re-sculpt what my professional goals are, and how to get them. An additional tool that the book provides is worksheets to help you put your plans into action. Kaputa also encourages communication with other co-workers and senior administrators to help you improve. Whether you have a job, looking for one or want a change, this is the perfect book to plan your corporate image.

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