Personal Branding is a new-age market mantra, synonymous with marketing yourself in a cut-throat competitive world. Here's a very interesting article on how to create a personal brand for yourself.
Am making the highlights redundant: Steps for a successfully branded you:
- Know what you want: Identify what you want, and start walking toward it.
- Be able to articulate what you do: When someone asks what you do, answer them immediately with a clear, concise, and confident response.
- Elevator pitch: Be able to describe who you are and what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator.
- Be positive: Be positive.
- Business card: A 3x5 piece of paper or mini-CD that has your personal contact information clearly printed on it.
- Have a blog / Website / MySpace, or other online presence: Get your brand online.
- Multiple e-mail addresses: Get more than one e-mail address.
- Phone: Get a phone.
- Signature: Your signature is who you are, your title, and your contact information. You should put this on everything you touch.
- Logo: A visual image that positively identifies your brand.
- Personal goals: Set goals for yourself that help you reach what you want.
- More than one resume: Customize your resume to the potential employer or client.
- Mentor: Find a guru and have them teach you.
- Networking outlets / contacts: Continually develop your network by attending industry meetings and conferences.
- Wardrobe style: When you are going to be near people who you wish to sell your brand to, dress to impress.
- Multiple IM accounts: Get more than one IM account.
- Alias: Obtain a positive nickname.
- Mantra: Collect sayings that enforce your brand.
- Speaking and PowerPoint template: Speak about what you do and have a hot-looking PowerPoint template to show.
- Passion: Love what you do.