It’s Time to Figure Out: What’s Your Personal Brand?
Let’s figure it out together
These days, having a strong personal brand is pretty much *essential* for young people looking to stand out from the crowd as you head into your professional era. It’s the unique combo of your skills, experience, values, and personality that you bring to this world, the thing people think of when they hear your name and potentially – the thing that’ll land you your dream job!
So, why does personal branding matter so much?
- • Visibility: A strong personal brand increases your visibility to potential employers, mentors, and collaborators.
- • Credibility: It establishes you as a dedicated individual with clear goals and values.
- • Networking: A well-defined personal brand helps you connect with like-minded individuals and professionals in your field of interest.
You asked: How do we build one for ourselves?
Step #1 Figure Out Your Unique Value Proposition
The best place to start is to understand what makes you unique:
- • Skills and Strengths: List your skills, strengths, and talents. Think about what you’re good at and what you actually enjoy doing.
- • Passions and Interests: Next up are your passions and interests. What topics or activities excite you the most?
- • Goals: Define your short and long-term goals. Where do you see yourself in the future?
- • Values: This one’s the most difficult – what values are important to you? (And if you’re not sure, check out our self-awareness bootcamp!).
Step #2 Create a Consistent Online Presence
Where will people look for you? Online! So, it’s extreeeeeemly important that everywhere you show up online reflects your personal brand. Think about:
- • Your LinkedIn Profile: Ensure your LinkedIn profile is professional and up-to-date. For a guide on getting your profile setup and ready to impress, see here.
- • Personal Website or Blog: Think about creating a personal website or blog to showcase your work, share your thoughts, and provide more information about you.
- • Social Media Accounts: Clean up your social media accounts. Make sure your posts, photos, and interactions align with your personal brand (and turn your personal accounts to private if you don’t want your potential employers seeing what you’re up to on the weekends!).
Step #3 Figure out Your “Brand Voice”
Your brand voice is how you communicate your brand to the world – think of it the same way your favourite brands have a style of communication! Are you serious? Funny? Relatable? There’s no right answer! Think about:
- • Your tone: Decide on the tone you want to use – professional, casual, friendly, authoritative – whatever works for you.
- • What content you’ll share: Share content that reflects your interests, skills, and values. This can include blog posts, articles, social media updates, and more.
- • How you’ll engage with others: Engage with your audience by responding to comments, participating in discussions, and showing appreciation for others’ content.
Step #4 Get Networking!
Networking is a key component of building your personal brand – and there’s plenty of different ways you can start to get out there (and we’ve got a whole guide to networking right here).
- • Join Groups and Organisations: Participate in clubs and professional organisations related to your field and look for ways to be a part of them!
- • Attend Events: Go to networking events, workshops, and conferences to meet new people and learn new things.
- • Connect Online: Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with peers, mentors, and professionals in your industry.
Step #5 Seek Feedback and Improve
Continuously seek feedback and work on improving your brand, as sometimes the way you think you’re coming across is not what others see.
- • Mentors and Peers: Ask mentors, teachers, and peers for feedback on your personal brand and online presence – asking them what they think of the way you’re representing yourself and see if it aligns with your intentions!
- • Self-Assessment: Regularly assess your brand and make adjustments as needed – if you feel like you’ve changed, your personal brand can adapt as you go!
What should I remember about building a personal brand?
- • Be Authentic AKA Be You! Authenticity is key. Be true to yourself and your values. People are drawn to genuine individuals, and can spot fake-ness a mile away.
- • Stay Consistent Wherever You Show Up Consistency in your messaging, tone, and appearance helps build a recognisable and trustworthy brand – and build an expectation of who you are as a person.
- • There’s a Time for Professionalism, And This is it. Always maintain professionalism in your interactions, both online and offline. This includes being respectful and courteous in all communications. Your reputation is one of the most important things you’ve got – and maintaining professionalism wherever possible will ensure you’re doing whatever you can to keep it a good one!
- • Stay as Engaged as Possible. Keep your online presence active by regularly posting content, engaging with your audience, and participating in relevant discussions. The more you get out there, the more rewards you’ll see for your efforts!
While starting to build a personal brand when you’re young can feel challenging (and sometimes too early!) – It’s an investment that can pay off a LOT in the long run. Remember, your personal brand is an ongoing project – stay authentic, stay consistent, and keep evolving your brand as you evolve as a person!