The essential importance of building a personal brand is to craft your value that’s so identifiable– you lock into a great bargaining position, perpetually. Think about it, a brand like Starbucks? Nike? And the Brand Called “You.” There’s a formula to make your name indispensable and “tradable” in the market you’re in.
The key to landing an ideal job is for you to stand out rather than fit in with what other candidates are doing. Be the unicorn in a sea of horses and you’ll definitely get noticed by the company you want to be part of. Brand yourself by identifying what makes you authentic and different – the rewards of crafting that will follow in your career.
Hiring managers or interviewers tend to judge applicants based on how they present themselves digitally. Great impressions count whether they admit it or not, it subconsciously affects their decision in picking an applicant.
What is Personal Branding?
This refers to how you promote yourself not just as a professional but also as a person. It is the conscious effort to participate in how the public perceives you. There are different factors of personal branding that you should be aware of:
- Authenticity – This is your true self. For some people it might be hard to find this aspect of their being. This is the core of who you are without any restrictions.
- Expertise – Your talents and skills, and what you’re good at. This is the knowledge and skill-set you’ve crafted over the years and what you can offer the world with ease.
- Your Story – Everybody has their own unique story. This is how we connect with each other.
- Your Value – What can people get from you and why should they need you. Basically the need you fill.
- Image – This is the most superficial level of personal branding. Here, you can control how the world perceives you and how they build an impression of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a strong personal brand?
Your positioning. It doesn’t matter if you’re already there or you aim to be in that position, if the positioning of your personal brand is clear, your whole branding will follow.
How do you use personal branding for job applications?
There are a lot of opportunities for you to use personal branding. One of which is through job applications. Create an impeccable personal brand to fit the job that you desire. You can alter how you look, speak, and articulate ideas to have a higher chance of being considered
What is personal positioning?
Personal positioning defines you as a person and where you stand compared to other players in the market. This is important in personal branding as it gives the public a clear view of your brand value.
Steps in Building a Personal Brand Professionally
- Create a Goal – Set a goal on what you want your personal brand to look like. This will serve as your direction on what to change with your current personal branding. This also ensures that you don’t change your authentic self in the process. Ask yourself questions that set you apart.
- Identify the Intrapersonal Factors You Need to Change – Intrapersonal skills are simply the skills that help you deal with yourself. They are internal abilities and behaviors that allow you to cope with challenges, learn new information, and manage your emotions. Examples of this are planfulness, self-discipline, delayed gratification. This might be the hardest part in building a personal brand because it involves changing the things that you’re used to. It takes discipline to develop these intrapersonal traits. Good examples of this are eating nutritiously, speaking more articulately, or being comfortable conversing with a lot of people.
- Sharpen Your Skills – Developing your expertise and skills to support your ideal personal branding isn’t easy but the benefits of this is beyond your goal. Developing these skills will be beneficial for you and your future self.
- Change What Others Can See – This is the easiest step but also the most crucial. It’s a matter of changing the perception of the public. You might think that it’s more on how you look and how you speak but it’s definitely more than that. You can also change your social media presence such as a LinkedIn rebrand. Clean unnecessary items there that wouldn’t help in reaching your personal branding goals.
