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Personal Brand
What Is a Brand?
A personal brand is the unique combination of skills and experiences that make you who you are. It is how you present yourself to the world. Effective personal branding will differentiate you from your competition and allow you to build trust with prospective clients and employers. Realize that your personal brand, like many corporate brands, will change as your career grows.
Rules of Branding
- Be authentic: Your brand must reflect who you are as a person.
- Understand yourself: Know your strengths and weaknesses.
- Maintain a strong online profile: Keep a clean, simple, and professional online presence. You never know who is watching.
- Know (and stick to) your values: Having a strong set of personal values will make your brand more defined, and most importantly, true to you.
- Display your brand: Show others your personal brand every day. Get out there and practice what you preach.
Embrace Networking
As you cultivate your ideal personal brand, it’s important to network regularly (and effectively) to grow your professional circle. Connect with peers and industry thought-leaders by going to formal and informal networking events, whether virtual or in-person. Regularly attending events or industry gatherings will help you not only build your brand, but potentially advance your career too.
Don’t be shy about asking people (former colleagues, new connections, hiring managers, industry experts) to meet for an informational interview or a casual coffee chat, via email or LinkedIn, to spark a conversation.
