What is Personal Branding? It is one of the most talked about career management tools available to all individuals and entrepreneurs. Defined as, the process whereby people and their careers are marked as brands. A compilation of feelings, perceptions and qualities that are recognized by others when they see you or hear your name. Personal Branding gives you an opportunity to market yourself by sharing with others a consistent message and image of yourself encompassing your reputation, credibility, expertise and value add to a potential employer.
To fully understand a “personal brand” consider the following names: Martin Luther King, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Oprah, Ghandi, Richard Branson and Helen Keller. You have had the opportunity to share in their achievements and their expertise and know who they are, but you also know what they stand for and what they believe in. Each of these people have a clearly defined personal brand as does Charles Manson!
Dan Schawbel, an expert on personal branding, provides advise on building a powerful personal brand by following these four steps: discover, create, communicate and maintain. If you Google “personal branding” Dan Schawbel’s name will fill the page, only behind Wikipedia! This didn’t just happen by chance.
Career Distinction Stand Out By Building Your Brand, was written by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson, two of the world’s leading Personal Branding Consultants. It is an excellent resource detailing the concept of personal branding.
Check out Chris Brogan’s “My Best Advice About Personal Branding” for more great information on personal branding!
Your personal brand is the image you present and how are you perceived by others. If you are interested in furthering your career you must be able to stand out from the competition. You can start by managing your personal brand, your authentic image that will represent your passions, your strengths and what it is that makes you a distinctive and influential individual. Stand out from the competition!
A Certified Professional Branding Strategist, Career Coach and Professional Resume Writer, Martin Buckland has the expertise to assist you in defining and communicating your personal brand.
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