What's in a brand?

Reflecting on Shakespeare's famous line, “What's in a name?”, you might wonder in today's professional landscape, should you not be asking instead, "What's in a brand?" Especially when it comes to your personal brand. But what exactly is a personal brand??

A personal brand is:

• The way you show the value you provide to others: your skills, personality, and expertise.
• It is your first impression; a way to be authentically you. (How you want to be perceived.)
• Personal branding is the process of creating a brand identity for a person or a company. It's a way of letting your audience know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should choose you over your competitors.?

To identify your own brand, ask yourself questions like:

• Who am I?
• What are my unique strengths?
• What do I love to do?
• Why do I yield better results than others?
• What unique approaches and strategies do I use?
• What are my values, and who do I serve??

Research is vital too. Find out what information is already publicly available about you and ensure consistency from here on out. LinkedIn is a great starting point. Consider what you want to be, not what you think you ought to be.?

Think about your personal brand as your positioning (what you say) plus execution (what you show). Consider yourself a business, with your skills as your product.?

Your brand should be present in your resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio site. Its visual identity should be memorable, recognizable, and ideally simple.?

And keep in mind, your personal brand is a living, evolving entity. It doesn’t have to be perfect to get going. The goal is to create something that inspires further inquiry and can be refined as you go along.?

While a personal brand is about what you say and show, authenticity is the cornerstone. Staying true to yourself will always be the most important part of your personal brand.?

Visit us at Allovus for support with building a strong personal brand and finding a role that elevates you on your career journey. If you need help discovering your brand and how to leverage it during a job search, check out our personal coaching offerings.?

#PersonalBranding #Authenticity #ProfessionalDevelopment #What 'sInABrand?