Mr. Bernard Shim, President of Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, delivered an inspiring lecture at SolBridge on Thursday, 29th November 2019 in one of our Platinum Lecture series. 

Mr. Shim shared with attendees the importance and need for building a personal brand in preparation for the job market or to succeed in the job market. Personal branding is the practice of marketing people and their careers as brands. It is an ongoing process of developing and maintaining a reputation and impression of an individual, group or organization. He shared examples of strong personal brands including Kim Kardashian and President Donald Trump. “Personal branding is the feeling people have when with you or when they think of you,” he emphasized.  

Using personal experiences, he gave tips on how to build a personal brand, including focusing on interests and not disinterests, finding a mentor, and having close friends whose opinions you trust. Additionally, he encouraged students to focus on developing their strengths rather than weaknesses. “The world doesn’t need generalists but specialists – enhance your skills and become an expert in a particular field," he said while sharing his brand.

Mr. Shim also discussed the hurdles in building a personal brand including not knowing yourself, excessive humility and the fear of failure. He encouraged students to invest in developing themselves, especially their communication skills. He concluded his lecture with an interactive session with students answering questions and giving advice in relation to overcoming stress, motivation and becoming an expert.

Mr. Shim is a Certified Public Accountant with over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting and an expert in mergers and acquisitions. He has been working with Caterpillar Inc. for over ten years in various capacities.