Personal Branding is not just for millennial bloggers and ‘influencers’; it can work professionally for anyone that puts their mind to it. Personal branding is the process of people portraying themselves and their career as a brand in itself, which is then used as marketing to establish an image in their field. Although, initially, personal branding can seem narcissistic, developing your professional personal brand can be very beneficial to your career as well as your reputation.
The best way to build your personal brand professionally is through portraying yourself in a positive manner when looking for roles. The BTN has developed a Video Profile (https://www.thebtn.tv/exclusive-content/video/coming-soon-btn-video-profiles), which will change the way you promote your personal brand and how you apply to jobs. This permits you to showcase yourself for potential roles, in a brief video describing you and your experience, and allows us (as recruiters) to get a gist of what you’re about.
If you’re still not convinced then here are 5 key reasons why personal branding matters today:
Differentiation
You’re in charge of your own personal branding which allows you to distinguish yourself from the competition and act as your own USP. You can do this in many ways, be it through your social media, the articles you like or re-post, the branding of your CV or how you come across on a video profile.
You’re in complete control
You’re your own PR, advocate and marketing, which means you can remain true to yourself through the image you exert, increasing your authenticity and building yourself an area of expertise. Furthermore, as your actions are intentional and focused on upholding your reputation and brand, you can be more specific in your job searches and personal pitch, focusing solely on your field of expertise.
Become an expert in your field and a ‘go-to’
By focusing on one field of expertise, everything you do can be concentrated on or around that area. Over time, your knowledge in the field will naturally develop and allow you to become a Subject Matter Expert (SME) within that specialism. By doing this you can establish a position as a ‘go-to’ for your expertise, which can be used as a USP on your professional profile.
Credibility builds your perceived value
As an SME you gain credibility in your area, increasing your perceived value both personally and professionally. You will feel more satisfied with the work you’re producing and your employer/prospective employers can acknowledge the worth of your expertise. Therefore, communicating your subject knowledge in your video profile can allow you to build your reputation and increase the reach of your content.
Consistency
As your personal brand is guaranteed by your reputation, you have to maintain a level of consistency in your work and in person. A consistent profile, video or written, will allow you to emphasise your portfolio of projects and work within your chosen field. This can make job hunting particularly easy as you know what you want and won’t have to re-invent yourself for roles that aren’t quite right.
Success and branding go hand-in-hand, therefore by emulating an established personal brand, you are more likely to be recognised as a leader in your field.
To ensure you don’t miss out on this opportunity, subscribe for free to The BTN now at: https://www.thebtn.tv/join
