THE POWER OF PERSONAL BRANDING

While developing a strong branding is all about you, the point behind it is to make valuable connections with others.

It can be easy to confuse reputation with personal branding. Everyone has a reputation – it is how others describe you. For example, your group mates may see you as a natural orator who is regularly picked to present the group’s work to the class. In a nutshell, your reputation is made up of other people’s opinions and impressions of you.

Having a personal branding, however, is much more deliberate. It is about how you want others to perceive who you are. For example, your LinkedIn profile is just one platform to show off your personal brand. All the information you have put up on it, from the display photo used, to the skills you chose to publish, has been intentionally curated to show others who you are and how you want to be perceived.

By taking charge of how you want others to perceive you, you are developing a life-long investment towards your ultimate dream career. Here are some quick tips.

Know yourself

Take the time to carry out a professional assessment of yourself. List down your core values, strengths, achievements and passion at this present moment, versus who you dream to be in the future. For instance, while you may know C++ programming right now, you are also aiming to develop skills in machine learning algorithms. By letting this be known in your networking circle, you can use it as a potential gateway to career opportunities from your connections that are specifically aimed to help you develop the skills you want.

If you find yourself stumped, consider asking yourself the following:

• Do I strive in a challenging environment, or am I stress-averse?

• Would I choose having a work-life balance career over a high-paying job?

• What characteristics have others complimented me on?

• Would I feel happier working in a corporate environment, or at a start-up?

• Do I see myself as an entrepreneur?

You can also consider asking your family and loved ones for some third-party feedback, as well. It is normal to still be figuring out who you are and who you want to be, so getting opinions from others who know you best can be a powerful strategy to help you out.

Maximise the use of social media

The easiest way to show others who you are is through your social media accounts. If you are just starting to develop your personal brand, you can start by vetting through your existing posts and media. Ensure that you delete or hide any content that might seem unflattering to potential employers. Ideally, it could be a good idea to have separate accounts for your professional and personal lives, as well as setting the latter’s account to private. Remember that potential employers are likely to check your background before offering you a job, and searching for your online presence is one of the easiest ways to go about it.

Once you are satisfied, you can use these online platforms to showcase your talents and interests. For example, if you like to draw, do not be shy to list drawing as part of your interests and share your art online. You never know, someone from the industry you are interested in may see the potential in your sketches. Additionally, you can utilise social media to join interest-based groups. This can not only provide a safe haven for constructive feedback on your art, but you can potentially get advice on how to further develop your skills. Soon enough, anyone who stumbles upon your social media account will automatically peg you as the artistic sort, even if they do not know you in person.

Tell your story

Having an impactful personal branding means telling a powerful story. Even if you have trouble marketing yourself using words, you can instead develop your personal story through your own skills.

For example, if you enjoy coding, consider learning how to create apps, while documenting the learning process along the way. This way, you will have a record of your initial skill level and how it has grown as you improve and challenge yourself. Anyone checking out your work will not just know your story, but also your dedication and passion for coding.

Choose a role modelBe consistent

Another way to kickstart your personal branding strategy is to learn from others. Consider using a role model as a guide to success, such as a business leader, an aspirational speaker or someone who is really successful in your field of choice. After all, they already have a strong personal brand, so they can provide inspiration on how you can build your own.

That does not mean that you should copy them exactly, however. Rather, spend some time figuring out your own niche and use cues that you can try emulating. For instance, if your role model is Elon Musk, ask yourself: what is it that you admire about him? Is it his dedication towards work, or perhaps it is about his sophisticated technology that revolutionises the sustainability industry? Think about them, and how you can apply those traits into your own branding efforts.

Ultimately, the key to achieving a powerful personal branding is to stay consistent and true to yourself. For example, it may send mixed signals if you apply for an architectural position on LinkedIn when your profile and work experiences are all about product designs or software programming. It may end up confusing your connections as they try to figure out who you really are.

Of course, it is also fine to change your personal ambitions as you experience new milestones and understand what you want to strive for in life. Just remember to update your personal branding to showcase your true self to others and attract the right job opportunities.