Creating Your Personal Brand
A big component of working in PR is growing your client’s brand. But what about your personal brand? What sets you apart from any other student or anyone working in your field?
Your personal brand encompasses who you are as a person, your values, and what you bring to the table. Just like a client that wants to stand out against their competitors, your personal brand is what makes you valuable to employers. How you design your personal brand will allow you to show off your individual attributes as well as establish to employers whether or not you fit the criteria that they are looking for.
Do Some Reflecting
When designing your brand, take some time to reflect on what makes you, you.
What are your strengths?
What motivates you?
What aspects of your work do you enjoy?
Are there any activities that you dread doing?
What experiences have shaped you into who you are today?
What projects, skills, and values are you proud of?
After reflecting on your individual characteristics and experiences, how are you unique? If you’re feeling stuck when answering these questions, ask a family member, friend, or co-worker for some extra insight into how they would describe you. This will help you determine how to brand these aspects of your personality.
Learning From Your Past Experience
Even if your past experience doesn’t exactly translate to the specific position that you’re applying for, it doesn’t mean it’s not valuable! It’s all about how you convey the skills you learned to an employer. Re-phrasing your past experience in terms of what criteria an employer is searching for is how you can show an employer that you have the skills that they are looking for.
For example, any customer service work experience, including serving positions or retail work, can be explained in a way that demonstrates how you can benefit an employer.
How did you represent the brand that you were working for?
What communication techniques did you learn?
What leadership roles did you obtain?
How did you adapt and use critical thinking skills to solve problems?
Did you learn anything valuable from working on a team? Or were you a self-starter?
It’s all about the way you shape your past experience to an employer that will demonstrate your unique brand. Think about what you learned through your past work or intern experience, class projects, extracurriculars, and even volunteer experiences. You can take what you learned and apply them to whatever position you set your mind to!
Building Your Online Presence
LinkedIn can be a pretty intimidating place, but it’s an opportunity to showcase your personal brand. Expanding your LinkedIn profile will allow you to network with peers, alumni, and professionals in your field. A great way to meet other individuals with similar aspirations is through joining groups. Industry-focused groups can allow you to learn more about industry standards and you can get to know more about what experiences other people in your field have taken part in. Read more about how to build your online presence here.
It’s a Continuous Process
Once you establish what aspects of yourself you want to showcase to the professional world, the process doesn’t end there. As you grow in your career, you will develop new skills and explore new avenues. Continue to alter your personal brand as you learn from your experiences that shape you into who you are.
About Madey
Madey Lutenski is currently a junior from Saginaw, Michigan studying Advertising and Public Relations with an emphasis in PR and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She has been a Career Connector with the GVSU Career Center for two years, and also works for GVSU Libraries as a Research Consultant and is the Assistant Promotions Manager for the Lanthorn. After college, she hopes to work for an integrated communication firm that works with non-profit organizations. In her spare time, she likes to explore new restaurants and watch movies with her friends!