With your brand vital to success in the modern workplace, here are the best ways to get it right

Whether you like it or not, a personal brand is not just for business leaders, it’s essential to every professional — from marketers to PAs, to receptionists.

Brands are commonly associated with companies. What makes them successful is what you should also think about. Your personal brand is what you do, how you present yourself, and what you believe in. Think of companies like Apple and Asos, and you will easily be able to answer those questions. With an effective personal brand, it will be the same for you.

Building a brand message is not something that can be done overnight, however. It is a long-term project that you will need to dedicate yourself to. From auditing your social media posts, building a personal website, to becoming a thought leader in your industry, the best personal brands take in every aspect of online and offline activity.

But why, you ask, should you care about your personal brand? You can find out more in our in-depth article here, but as a quick overview— it has an impact not just on finding a job today but working your way up the career ladder in the future.

Sound difficult? It doesn’t have to be. Follow these simple steps to begin the painless journey towards an exceptional personal brand.

1. Understand your strengths

What really makes you stand out from the hundreds of other CVs that businesses receive? What skill are you exceptional at, and how can it be best applied?

It doesn’t matter if you’re starting out on your career journey, or close to your peak, understanding your niche can not only help you define who you are online, it can help you understand exactly which type of business will allow you to flourish.

Don’t know what your unique skill is? Ask your respected colleagues. We all have something that makes us stand out.

2. Present your strengths online

Creating a strong CV is still important. But many employers now add equal weight to a strong online presence — especially as a quick Google search can reveal so much about a person. You need to remove anything on your social platforms that will negatively impact how you want to be seen. Beyond this, you need to perfect what you already have and add extra quality.

Digital content is the future of every industry. The same is true of your personal brand. Whilst it will not be like-for-like in every profession, creating content on your LinkedIn profile that’s directed towards your target audience — your ideal future employer — will give you a better chance to be identified as the ideal candidate.

Whichever channel and whatever content you target, however, it’s important to be yourself.

3. Understand your values

Your personal brand is not only about presenting the best version of yourself. It’s about understanding what you truly value. Many people spend their entire lives working for businesses that don’t align with what they believe in. No wonder so many people see work as a slog.

It doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re clear about your personal and professional goals, your career can be rewarding from start to finish. It will stop you applying for jobs that aren’t aligned with what you believe in, and if your values are clear on social profiles, it’ll be obvious which jobs aren’t right for you when employers and recruiters are searching for candidates.

Save time, save pain, be clear in your personal brand your values, and you can save yourself from years spent doing jobs that aren’t aligned with what you want from life.

4. Commit to lifelong learning

You’ve got your degree. You’ve got your first professional job. That’s your education over for life, right? Wrong. To be successful, you should treat your entire life as a petri dish for personal development.

Whether you take up online courses in your personal time, learn from senior leaders within the companies you work for, or seek out in-work apprenticeship schemes, there are so many ways to strengthen your skills. Even networking at industry conferences can have an impact on your personal brand.

Whichever track you choose to travel, make sure that you make it visible across your online profiles. The more employers can see that you’re committed to developing yourself, the more likely they are to see you as someone who can grow within their business.

Lifelong learning gives you a better chance of being successful in your job search today. It will also make it easier to climb the career ladder in the future.

To sum up

Your personal brand is the key to your success, whatever industry you work in. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the way you present yourself online will gain greater importance.

Still not convinced? Check out our guide to why a personal brand is so important. Want to delve deeper into the world of personal branding? Sign up to one of our seminars. Realised your current role isn’t right for what you believe in? Search for our current roles below.