“What do you want to be known for?”

In today’s competitive job market, having a personal brand is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Having a personal brand doesn’t mean that you need to be a social media influencer, it’s about how you showcase yourself to the world. Whether you are looking for a new job or building relationships with other people, a solid personal brand helps you attract the right opportunities, meet the right people and find the right career path.

If you are looking to curate your very own personal brand, here’s a roadmap to kickstart your journey!

Define your unique values and characteristics

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Picture your personal branding as your secret sauce in the professional world. It’s not just a logo or a fancy tagline; it’s the essence of what makes you, well, you.

Specifically, it’s the summary of what and who you are. Consider these three aspects:

• Your uniqueness: What unique perspective can you bring to the table? Think about your experiences.
• Your values: What drives your action? Find what truly fuels your passion, it could be advocating for human rights, equality or even wanting to capture life moments.
• Your contributions: Considering your academic expertise, what unique contributions can you offer? It could be a skill you are really good at.

The combination of these three elements create a powerful personal branding.

Personally, I am a man who is into fashion and technology, with an international background who experiences the hardship of studying abroad and immigrating to a new country by myself. I stand for human rights and equality so, I want to promote the welfare of people from diverse backgrounds. I use my personal blog and social media platforms to share tips on how to make life better and easier.

Optimize your presence and visibility

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After deciding what values and characteristics you want to highlight, it is time to combine all your personal brand assets. Include them in your resumé, cover letter, portfolio, blog, and on your social media.

It’s important that your personal brand maintains a consistent, coherent, and credible presence no matter where they pop up – be it online or offline.

Then, you need to appeal to your target audience. It can be in any form such as blogs, podcasts or simply just lending a hand to other people in real life. The goal is to sharing valuable content that showcases your expertise, insights, and opinions on topics related to your field or industry.

Network strategically

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Making your personal brand a part of your work is an excellent start — but you can’t go about it alone. This is where networking comes into play. You need to surround yourself with peers who share your passion.

They will motivate you, assist you, help you craft your message, bring in new perspectives, and challenge your ideas.

Attending events, joining groups, reaching out to contacts, asking for referrals, or offering help are great sources of networking.

You can also take initiative by actively starting a conversation about topics that align with your personal brand. This will allow like-minded people to come to you and naturally expand your networking circle.

Final thoughts

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Finding a personal brand that reflects you can be challenging. The only way to discover your true self is to try as much as you can. Do different jobs, meet different people to see what you like and what you don’t like. Throughout time, you will gain unique experience and valuable skills that set you apart.

Remember, in this journey of self-discovery, it’s not just about learning skills only, it’s about creating an identity that stands as a proof of your growth. So, embrace the unfamiliarity, and let the symphony of experiences shape a personal brand that resonates with your true self.

Photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash.

Still confused about where to find unique experience? Here’s How to make the best of your post-secondary experience

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