HOW TO BUILD A PERSONAL BRAND TO BOOST YOUR CAREER

Developing a personal brand may sound challenging, but here are some tips to help you create an authentic personal brand—and boost your career in the process.

Figure out who you are: To build a personal brand that reflects your professional and personal identity, you first need to know who you are. Create a list of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself the following:

• Which areas do I excel in?

• What motivates me?

• Which things can I spend hours on without feeling overwhelmed or tired?

• What are things that seem to drain your energy? 

• What are things that others have complimented me on?

If you are struggling to answer these questions, ask friends, family, and co-workers how they would describe you. Choose an area you like to focus on and let it evolve. 

Then:

Develop and refine your online presence.

Your online presence must be engaging to hiring managers and others- even if you are not looking for a new job (yet). There are some great online platforms where you can tell your story. Remember to:

• Participate in groups, make introductions with people who interest you, and ask for (and give) recommendations.

• Build upon your industry expertise, incorporate your personal brand on the bio, then use hashtags of your niche, follow leaders, and retweet top industry stories. 

• Create a personal website using any of the great free platforms available.

Remember always - keep it professional online!

Decide what you want to be known for: Your personal brand is who you are and a roadmap of where you want to go. Determine where you want to be in five or 10 years—and the things you want to be known for—this can help you better decide what steps you need to take to get there.

  

Remember: Your personal brand is not only what is online, but how you carry yourself around at work, school, home, even your daily commute. 'Your Reputation is everything'. Every task you are involved in, do it as a leader. That is part of your brand. Strong leaders exist from every level, “Leadership comes from how you behave, how you act, and how you inherently interact with people,”. “That’s real leadership.”

The story you tell, along with those everyday interactions, define your personal brand.

Proudly brought to you by Rosebank College, a brand of The Independent Institute of Education, SA's largest and most accredited private higher education provider. For more information on developing your career and your personal brand, mail alumni@rosebankcollege.co.za.