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Personal Brand 

An effective personal brand will help you stand out in a competitive job market.

Everyone has a Brand

It is the collective image others see of you based on your publicized experiences and attributes. Simply put, a personal brand is what others say about you both in-person and online.

Keep Reading to Learn:

  • How to identify your personal brand
  • Ways to foster your brand to wow connections

Personal Brand Development

Contrary to popular belief, personal branding does not start with updating your LinkedIn profile. Although this is an important step, personal branding begins with reflection. Take a moment to think about what it is about yourself that is worth branding.

  1. What are your accomplishments, skills, and strengths?
  2. What are your underlying passions and motivations?
  3. What are your career goals and aspirations?
  4. What do you want to be known for?

If you are struggling with this, text two friends the first question. Those who know you well can be invaluable resources when considering these kinds of questions.

Another resource that can be helpful when identifying your core skill set is PathwayU. PathwayU provides a series of self-assessments designed to uncover your interests, values, personality traits, and workplace preferences that may prove helpful as you reflect.

Personal Brand Statement

Personal Brand Statements communicate your skills, where you can best use your skills, and how you do it uniquely.

Current Brand Scan

Take a moment and Google your name. The generated results are the foundation of your brand. Don’t like what you see? Don’t worry, that’s where active personal branding comes into play.

Active Branding

Active personal branding is all about closing the gap between what exists out there about you and what you want to exist. It is a process that takes a consistent effort to highlight the key aspects of your personal brand statements over time.

Next Steps

Work on your brand:

  • Update your LinkedIn profile (link to LinkedIn page) and it is public
  • Rotate the content on the “Featured” section of your LinkedIn page
  • Develop a personal portfolio/webpage that highlights your professional development
  • Conduct informational interviews with recent alumni in industries of interest
  • Ask professional mentors for recommendations and post them on your LinkedIn page
  • Get involved in student clubs and organizations, they are great resume and connection builders.

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