Personal branding is the fusion of your skills and experience that makes up who you are and how you market yourself to the world. Creating a personal brand can pave the way for new opportunities like moving upwards in your career, building recognition in your industry and improving your network.
In addition, it helps you succeed in ways that corporate branding never could with companies because with personal branding, you are the brand. By establishing a successful personal brand, you can separate yourself from the competition and make your mark on your industry.
The rise of the internet has also increased the importance of having a personal brand. Before connecting with people around the world was possible at our fingertips, personal brands consisted mostly of things like business cards — but with the increased popularity of professional networking sites, your personal brand can now be seen on a global scale.
Developing a personal brand helps add value and credibility to your application, giving recruiters an idea of who you are and what you can accomplish for their company. Whether you are on the search for a new job or just want to establish yourself in your industry, check out these tips to build your personal brand to make your mark and position yourself above the rest.
By using these tips to develop a personal brand, you become a more memorable candidate and show the world that you mean business. Hiring managers see so many job applications that creating a personal brand with everything that comprises you is an essential part to your job search. If you want to make your mark, focus on creating your personal brand to help yourself stand out from the rest. For more tips and ways to develop your personal brand check out this infographic below!
In addition, it helps you succeed in ways that corporate branding never could with companies because with personal branding, you are the brand. By establishing a successful personal brand, you can separate yourself from the competition and make your mark on your industry.
The rise of the internet has also increased the importance of having a personal brand. Before connecting with people around the world was possible at our fingertips, personal brands consisted mostly of things like business cards — but with the increased popularity of professional networking sites, your personal brand can now be seen on a global scale.
Developing a personal brand helps add value and credibility to your application, giving recruiters an idea of who you are and what you can accomplish for their company. Whether you are on the search for a new job or just want to establish yourself in your industry, check out these tips to build your personal brand to make your mark and position yourself above the rest.
Find a Niche
To find your niche, you must determine what you are better at than anyone else. To do this, you must find your strengths and weaknesses, and assess what makes you stand out from the rest. Your current interests are not stagnant, so you’ll want to focus on something that has growth potential as this is crucial for long-term personal brand development.Determine a Target Audience
After determining your niche, figure out who your target audience is and how to tailor your personal brand to them. It’s essential to understand that you can’t cater to everyone — and that shouldn’t be your goal. Determine who you want to connect with and what the best ways to reach them are. One way to do this is by creating buyer personas so you can work backwards to determine where and how to reach your target market.Develop a Brand Personality
Your brand personality is the human emotions and characteristics that become associated with your brand. It’s essential to remain authentic so that your brand personality reflects your goals and values. Don’t confuse brand personality with brand identity which includes tangible aspects of your branding such as a logo or social media presence.Make Relevant Content
Sharing relevant content helps you build trust, establishes yourself as an authority in the work space and creates relationships with your audience. This can include personal or guest blogging, your portfolio on your personal website, or even featuring on podcasts. This is a great way to show hiring managers your past work while simultaneously keeping you ahead of the game compared to your competitors.Build a Professional Social Media Presence
Today, social media has become an extremely important asset to personal branding. In fact, 70 percent of employers and recruiters have admitted to using social media as a way to screen candidates prior to interviews and job offers. Needless to say building a strong and professional online presence is a key part of the modern-day job search. Try creating professional profiles for each social media platform and have a consistent profile picture and username for easy finding. If you have a separate personal social media account, make sure your content is always clean (even if your account is private).Know How To Network
Learning to effectively network is crucial to building a strong personal brand. Sincere networking can provide you with a library of new resources, increase your web of connections and help you stay on people’s radars. One of the best resources for networking is finding and maintaining a relationship with a mentor. They usually have an extensive network and unique insights into your industry. Other networking resources include following industry thought leaders and informational interviews.Develop an Elevator Pitch
The best way to sell yourself and nail first impressions is by developing a solid elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a 30 - 60 second long summary of yourself where you highlight your professional skills, strengths and experience. Make sure you practice your pitch in the mirror or to someone you trust so that you can make it smooth and genuine. Your elevator pitch should be concise, positive and, most of all, confident so that you can make yourself stand out from the crowd.By using these tips to develop a personal brand, you become a more memorable candidate and show the world that you mean business. Hiring managers see so many job applications that creating a personal brand with everything that comprises you is an essential part to your job search. If you want to make your mark, focus on creating your personal brand to help yourself stand out from the rest. For more tips and ways to develop your personal brand check out this infographic below!
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