What is Personal Branding?

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 should showcase your professional reputation, demonstrate 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 you can differentiate yourself from your competitors.

What is Personal Branding?

“Personal branding is the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence and have a larger impact” (https://personalbrand.com/definition/)

To put this simply, your Personal Brand is your professional reputation. A strong Personal Brand will make you more visible online, influence key decision makers and business leaders, ultimately, differentiating you from the competition.

Why is Personal Branding so important?

First and foremost, employers and customers need to understand more about who you are and what you can offer. By understanding your own worth, strengths, transferable skills, and areas of expertise, you will attract better work and business opportunities.

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, services or product, they will remember your name and your brand. You are also in a stronger position to negotiate a higher salary, daily rate or service offering, because your personal brand will reinforce your credibility and the value you bring to the employer or customer.

Adapting 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, 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