In an article from Web Worker daily, business writer Pamela Poole emphasizes that, in the business world, “personal branding is important, like it or not.”
“Image,” she continues, “is unavoidable.”
Remember: if you don’t brand yourself first, someone else will. Think back to summer camp in third grade when you forever became known as the kid who still wet the bed. Now multiply that feeling by one hundred.
You don’t want to be branded by someone else as the proverbial corporate bed-wetter, so it is up to you to create your own identity. However, don’t get carried away; your image should be real. It should not be a false depiction or seem too contrived.
Your Personal Brand
Essentially, your personal brand consists of three main qualities: competencies (in other words, your skills); personality, which includes your goals, values, and identity; and the unique value or benefit you are able to provide (i.e. what do you have to offer that sets you apart form the rest?).
As you begin to solidify your personal brand identity, keep these three points in mind:
- INDIVIDUALITY
- VISIBILITY
- CONSISTENCY
What makes you different and valuable? Although job titles are important on your résumé, don’t focus too much on them when creating your personal brand. There are thousands of other people who have been general managers and research assistants, and you need to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Enhance your profile by getting your name out there. Start a blog, take on side projects, teach a class, speak at workshops, get on panel discussions at conferences – the important thing is to get yourself known by people outside your place of employment so that you have a larger, more diverse network of people who can serve as references and possible job opportunities. Chances are, if a possible employer has heard of you (in a good way) before you even apply for a job, you are automatically more desirable.
Maintaining your personal brand is ongoing and will continue throughout your entire life cycle. It is important not only that your personal brand identity reflects you truthfully as a person, but also that your identity doesn’t develop multiple personalities over the course of your life that may confuse or alienate interested parties.
You alone are in charge of and responsible for your personal brand identity. Approach it as you would a real-life brand, and work hard to maintain and protect that brand. You will be acting as the CEO, project manager, and administrative assistant of the most important company in the world: yourself.
Gabrielle is a recent graduate from Syracuse University, where she studied fashion design and fashion communications. She is in the process of building a small fashion business over the internet and plans to return to Syracuse in 2010 to pursue her Master’s Degree in art journalism.
