5 Ways to create your personal brand

Looking for a new role in today’s job market is challenging and competitive. One of the best ways to navigate a saturated job market is to stand out from the crowd. Creating a personal brand showcases your professional reputation, demonstrates to employers why they should hire you and how you could add value to their business. Whether you are looking for your next career move or exploring working for yourself, it is essential to understand the importance of personal branding to ensure when you create your brand, you differentiate yourself from your competitors and become more visible to your ideal market.

What is a Personal Brand and why is it important?

Employers need to understand more about who you are and what you can offer. Put simply, your personal brand is the controlled promotion of your professional reputation. A strong personal brand helps you to forge more valuable professional relationships and position yourself in the market. If people feel confident in your abilities, they will remember your name and your brand. You are also in a stronger position to negotiate a higher salary or daily rate, because your personal brand will reinforce your credibility and the value you bring to the employer.

How do I create my Personal Brand?

1. Conduct a Brand Analysis - To build a strong brand image, you will need to start with understanding of what your offering is and what it stands for. Understanding what you can offer and who would require your service or skill set, will help you to position yourself in the marketplace and secure either career opportunities or win new business.

2. Identify your Key Audiences - When you are creating a brand, you need to understand who your customers or potential employers are, how they will look for your service/skillset, and why they should hire or buy from you. If you don’t know who your potential customers or preferred employers are, you can customise your offering for your target audience.

3. Define your Brand Offering - A brand offering statement or Elevator Pitch, can set you apart from the competition and tells your audience exactly what you have to offer, what makes you unique and your goals or call to action. Using your brand analysis, you need to able to communicate your message to future employers or customers usually in about 60 seconds or less.  Your pitch must be relevant to the listener so customise it for various audience groups and social media channels.

4. Determine a Brand Goal - To know where you are going, you need to know how to get there. Whether you are looking to secure a permanent role in a specific industry, set up your own consultancy or start a new business, you need to determine a brand goal. The GROW Model is a simple yet powerful framework to start establishing and evaluating your brand goals as you embark on your journey to achieving them.

5. Adapt your Brand - Your brand will need to be flexible as you move between different roles, contracts and career paths. You may need to make changes to your brand to meet new career goals such as finding a new role or changing industry or becoming self-employed. It is important to assess your brand from time-to-time by conducting a personal brand audit. Research job boards, review business news and talk to your network. Understanding industry and market conditions will help you to assess how your current brand matches market demand and identify any skills or knowledge gaps. Personal branding manifests and evolves throughout your career, it stems from your values and is something you refine throughout your career. Once you have established your brand, you'll need to keep nurturing it to keep a consistent professional identity.

Renovo is the UK’s leading outplacement and career transition specialist. We work with both organisations and individuals to support all their career transition requirements. If you would like to understand how Renovo can help you please call 0800 612 2011 or email info@renovo.co.uk