Building a Great Personal Brand

Tom Peters coined the term “personal brand” in Fast Company in 1997.  He said, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You. It’s that simple — and that hard.” 

Your career path is more than a series of jobs – it’s about who you are and where you’re going.  The problem is, most of us aren’t sure of who we are and where we’re going.  Forget your degree or future job title for a moment.  Your personal brand is about what you do that adds value – to your company and to your community.  And if it’s going to be an effective brand, it has to stand out from the crowd. 

Peters suggests that you have the beginnings of a personal brand if you pass the 15-word test.  Can you explain your unique combination of valuable traits in a few words?  Start by identifying the characteristics that make you different from your competitors – and your colleagues. What have you done lately that adds value?  Do you do it consistently?  When you have a statement like this: “A combination of data-driven strategic thinking and boundless creative energy,” or “A proven leader with grit and resilience” you have the beginnings of a personal brand. Take some time to hone your brand statement, and then keep it handy.  It will serve as an inspiration to you as you set out on your career path.  

The next step is to think in terms of features and benefits – standard marketing thinking. What are the features of your brand, and what value does it bring to your customers (or bosses, coworkers, and the company?) If you consistently finish projects on time and they’re right the first time, you save everyone time and money. You can see that personal branding is a great way to build your confidence, even if your job title is near the bottom of the corporate ladder. 

We built the Podium X platform to allow creation of an online profile that is specially designed for athletes to highlight their unique journey and valuable soft skills  – often developed through athletics. The profile serves as an enhanced resume, highlighting your personal brand by listing business and athletic experience, leadership and educational experience, even media clips about your sports careers. Students can create traditional resume PDFs with one click and be matched to hundreds of national job openings. Employers post job openings and can view student profiles that match the skills they need. It also has great prompts to help you define your personal brand. 

Your online presence is a place to showcase your personal brand, but your actions make it come to life. Everything you do, or don’t do becomes a part of your brand. The way you respond to email (including your grammar and spelling) will be noted, for example, along with your responsiveness and how often your projects are on time.  (These things get noticed anyway, by the way; you’re building a brand whether you know it or not.)  

Your career success depends on many factors: how hard you work, how skillful you are, and how the people who work with you think about you. Your personal brand is made up of all these things – and more – and it can open a lot of doors for you if you manage it well.