12 Tips to Build a Personal Brand & Develop A Career Plan

Created by Jacson Silveira | https://www.behance.net/gallery/111253117/Jacs-Personal-Brand-Identity

Build a personal brand is similar to developing a corporate brand that reflects the value of the company. For these reasons, creating a branding persona plays a vital role in representing who you are and what values you embrace. It sounds challenging, but there are more manageable steps to implement. Here are twelve tips for developing a career plan by branding your personal identity.

The Best Tips for Developing Brand and Career Plan

1. Determine Your Plan

Your brand plays a prominent role in representing who you are. It's an essential part of the map of where you go to the next step. Therefore, you need to understand your existing skills and competencies and strengths and weaknesses as they are related to the career you want to break into the next phase to have a personal brand.

By doing all this way, you will find the traits and skills that make you distinct. In addition, it will determine the areas where you need to improve in advance—estimating where you want to be in a period of five or ten years. Then, attributes you wish to be known for in your career. It can help you to discover the best actions you need to perceive to gain the goals.

2. Figure Out Your Personal Identity First

In order to build a personal brand that reflects on your professional identity, then you need to know who you are. Be thoughtful and create a list of weaknesses and strengths to gain a successful career. Start to question yourself what areas of work that you excel in. Then, what motivates you to do the project and achieve success. 

In case you are trying to clarify these problems, ask the people surrounding you, such as family, friends, and colleagues, how they would describe you. After you are aware of the different sides of your personality and all about your characteristics, you can decide how the best brand you should choose.

Keep in mind that many people struggle to choose a specific brand because they want to have a successful person. Understand your personal brand just like other professional corporate brands. It will change as your career grows and your future goals. The best strategy you need to choose is a particular area you want to develop and advance in your future career.

Created by Keller Biolo | https://www.behance.net/gallery/96130241/PERSONAL-BRAND

3. Do the Research About the Industry and Follow the Pro

After you decide on the right career you like, then determine to compile research on experts in that field. Find out who the thought leaders that you want and follow the way and strategy that they used. Not only that, you need to find out the blogs and what they are contributed to. Look for people who are productive, successful and observe what they are doing. 

Then, imitate them, but you need to do one better. It is because build a personal brand needs some aspects that make you stand out. However, you can't gain the top without taking one successful expertise as a role model. Thus, you need to research your desired industry and follow the experts that are already on the top of your career. 

Created by Luiza Bola | https://www.behance.net/gallery/105531103/Luiza-Bola-Personal-Branding

4. Describe Your Audience

Before you start crafting your specific brands, you also need to define who you're trying to reach. Determine your audience, is it for industry, individual at a particular company, recruiters, or many more. As soon as you determine your targeted audience, it leads you to easier have a brand about yourself. It is because you will better understand the type of story and how you need to tell.

For instance, if you are a graphic designer and want to impress a new customer, you need to tell the story and have a personal brand through media such as a website representing your portfolio. It is an essential step to attract new customers to the service that you provide. In this case, you can adequately prove your talents to gain a successful career.

On the other hand, if your goal is to hire recruiters and managers, then update and create a LinkedIn profile. It is essential due to 92 percent of recruiters use social media to discover a high-quality candidate. However, more than 87 percent of people use LinkedIn as media support. 

5. Prepare the Best Short Presentation for Your Brand

As you start to imagine your mark or stigma about yourself, spend some time making the best elevator pitch. Elevator pitch is helpful to build a personal brand by telling who you are and what you are planning about. It's like the types of short business presentations between 30 to 60 seconds that are used to present the idea to potential customers and investors. 

In principle, because the duration of the meeting with the client is not long, you must make the best use to promote your brand. Whatever you are haunting a networking event or an informal party, owning an elevator pitch planned executes it easier to define briefly what you need to do and what step you are going in your career. 

It would be best if you came up with concise and very short things to say. Thus, it is essential to make an elevator pitch outline by centering on pivotal aspects you want to highlight. It includes looking for specifics careers, strength in particular elements, and value of your current department or company as the personal brand.

6. Ask For Information

In case you decide to form a list of companies for industry leaders you respect, think about contacting these experts to request an informational interview. Don't be afraid to ask anyone you are interested in learning more from. You would be surprised by how generous and genuine people are. 

In case you meet with these individuals, ask questions that can help you build a personal brand by new visions and knowledge about your desired field. You can start the question: the industry evolving, how to stay up to date with industry trends, and trade associations should join. These questions are essential to give you new insights into the field that you want to focus on. 

7. Ask the Recommendation

Having former colleagues and managers recommend you is one of the easiest ways to gain a personal brand. It leads you to achieve the most effective ways to define your value. Your colleagues are allowing others to communicate your best deal for you. As a result, you have extensive opportunities to catch attention from companies or audiences.

Just like a business, this way might nurture customer reviews and testimonials for use in marketing guarantee. It also works on you; that recommendation is a crucial way to develop in a future career. Don't be shy to ask for recommendations from your friends and people that have a significant impact on gaining success. 

In this case, LinkedIn is an excellent media to request support and build a personal brand. It is due to the recommendations that will empower presumable to catch the eye of future contracting from companies. But don't forget to ask the people praising you for acting as an actual reference during your job hunt. Make sure they want to speak with a potential employer or write a letter of recommendation if needed.

In case you are not sure who to ask, then former managers who mentored you closely are the ideal option you should choose. However, other influential people can also craft practical recommendations for your future career. You can ask for the submission of leaders of organizations you belong to and professors in your college.

8. Encirclement Networking

Networking is about interchange knowledge and attends as a path to generate long-term connections with interactive advantages. You never can tell how much you know without listening to the story and the information from other people. Success in a career is qualified primarily to a lot of info or concepts you have gathered over the past.

When networks have been created, it raises a craft of ideas to withstand long-term relationships and mutual trust. When you receive ideas, it supports both in your place of work and out. Also, it is the best practice that soothes your career and build a personal brand at the same time. Thus, networking is an essential step that you need to choose.

As you promote your ideal personal brand, it's crucial to network regularly and effectively grow your qualified circle. Join with peers and business thought-leaders by going to formal and informal networking events. This step is beneficial to gain the best future career that you have a plan for. 

The more connections you make, the more value you can offer in your relations. Not only that, it will have an impact on your brand that is recognized by a lot of audiences. Considering that about 85 percent of all jobs are occupied by interacting and meeting people, frequently attending these events will help you advance your career.

In case you come to these events, don't be cautious, afraid, or anxious, asking fellow attendees to meet again for an informational interview or a casual conversation. Then remember, if you don't get a chance to join at these events, reach out via social media or email. In addition, you can use LinkedIn to have a conversation.

9. Consider Your Online Presence

One of the essential aspects of building a personal brand is making an online presence. It is important to engage hiring managers, coworkers, and others. With so countless different social media tools available today, it will look different depending on the medium you decide. In this case, you can choose based on your references and the targeted future step.

Even if your story fits into all available platforms, the chances of success are much better once you know your target audience. You can get many opportunities by telling your best story on various social media provided on the online platform. This will have an impact on your success in achieving your goals.

Additionally, if you want one of your sites or profiles to be exclusively for friends and family, adjust your privacy settings to ensure that inherent employer. Don't flounder against any information that could potentially harm your chances of landing a job. To make you more straightforward, craft your personal brand online at some online platform with incorrect settings. 

Additionally, if you want one of your profiles to be displayed for family or friends only, then adjust the privacy settings accordingly. Don't let the posts and stories on your social media have the potential to endanger you to get a job. For these reasons, it is necessary to have a precise strategy to help you build a personal brand online.

If you use LinkedIn as a professional social media tool to define your brand, then customize the setting properly. The best way to use this platform is by participating in groups, asking and giving recommendations, and making an introduction to interested people. You can focus on critical industry skills and whether in your headline, summary, or job description that state your abilities. 

Complete your profile based on your experiences. Recruiters want to see what work experience you have before, your detailed list of accomplishments, and your educational background. Therefore, make sure you show the full and detailed profile on LinkedIn. Convince them that you are one of the people they should hire.

In addition, you should use a LinkedIn profile with a professional photo. It is an essential tip if you want the recruiter to see your personal brand. Upload the current photo that closely cropped your face. Remember to choose the best photo and avoid any busy backgrounds. It is better if your photo is taken with your smile. The more you look welcoming, the more recruiters consider you. 

Next, if you are in a design or marketing field, it is essential to have a personal website or portfolio. It is important to give information about who you are and visualize your work. You can build a personal brand from various platform sites such as Wix, WordPress, or Squarespace. Small businesses or brand owners can also take advantage of Canva logo templates to create specific content. 

Created by Niko | https://www.behance.net/gallery/73519861/NIKO-Personal-Identity-Self-Branding

10. Personal Presence is Not Just Online

Your brand is more than just an online personal presence. But you can carry yourself at the office, home, and your daily life. It is because your reputation is everything to give you more opportunities to set the best branding. You can work with others, assert as a leader, and volunteer for projects as parts of your brand process. 

Leadership isn't reserved for only executives, but more like how you behave, how you act, and how you integrally cooperate with people. Those activities are the key essential for leadership to build a personal brand in a good way. Then, combine these activities with everyday relations, ultimately describe your skill and plan.

11. Evaluate Your Skills

A personal brand is the best way to present your professional skills. It is crucial to set your job search document through an online platform. That is why you need to evaluate your skills or ability that may need an overhaul. Be sure you highlight your transferable skills and show how you give the contribution to the company. 

Review your options for career development about responding to a deficiency of chances. Even if it means changing your career and job, you need to consider your progression. You may be fortunate to work for an organization where there's a clear career path ahead of you. However, it will challenge many people that don't have the same opportunities. 

Keep a record of what you do well, the awards you have received, and the result you get from your career to build a personal brand. Recruiters want to know what you'll do for them, and it's easier to remember your strengths. Start by tracking your duties, listing the professional development activities and project results that you've participated in.

Use this success journal record to review your strengths and successes continually. It is essential to boost your confidence and self-esteem at a particular time. Having an objective list of strengths and accomplishments and a positive reputation can enhance your motivation in your personal brand. It's also a great way to prove to yourself that you can do it. 

12. Develop Flexibility

Cultivate your ability to resolve dissatisfaction and confusion. The future is uncertain, and you'll likely encounter obstacles no matter how much you prepare the best plan. The most successful people have the ability in terms of resilience. They work with purpose, bounce back from obstructions, and look at the faults as learning experiences.

To develop your flexibility, start by discovering how resilient you are now. Strengthen your provision base, and focus on cultivating your well-being or health. From there, evaluate and encourage your strengths regularly. Build a personal brand to deal with various changes; start with yourself to stay positive and flexible when changes occur.

Conclusion

It might sound challenging to manage and build a personal brand by yourself. However, you can take more manageable time and steps to build your credibility in specific fields. Start with determining your planning for the future career. Then, complete your branding by highlighting your strengths, create a reputation, build trust, and communicate the unique points that bring to your current desired career.

We hope this guide can help you along the way. Which steps you think will be the most difficult for you? Let us your comments on the section below. Have a good day, and cheers!