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How to Create Your Personal Brand

Creating a strong personal brand can advance your career by gaining the attention of potential employers and other professionals, but how do you create a strong personal brand?

Personal branding gives you the opportunity to be known for anything you want by creating a specific image of yourself. Just like companies create brands to be known for things like great running shoes or awesome technology products, you can do the same thing for yourself.

An example of a company that has used branding to become extremely successful is Apple. When watching an iPhone commercial, you know it’s an Apple ad before seeing the product, but how? What about that feeling you get when walking into an Apple store or why Apple products always have the same look and feel? This is all because Apple has spent years branding themselves so that we all know when we’re having an Apple brand experience.

How to Create Your Personal Brand

You can use the same power of branding to get your dream job, but how do you do it? Read on as we share the five steps to create your awesome personal brand!

Step 1: Align your personal brand to your professional goals

Deciding exactly what you want your personal brand to be and what you want to be known for is the first step to creating your personal brand. This is known as your brand identity. Figuring this out is essential because everything else builds on it. Ask yourself these questions to figure out your brand identity:

  • Why are you creating a personal brand?
  • What are your professional goals?
  • What do you want to be known for?
  • What are you passionate about?
  • What are your strengths?

After you’ve answered these questions, you should have a clear picture of what you want your personal brand to be. For example, if you’re a student training for a career in the medical field, your answers could be to start a career in healthcare and build relationships with local medical professionals.

Step 2: Choose your platforms

With the increased usage of social media and mobile devices, personal branding is much easier now than it has been in the past. You can literally create your personal brand at any time, from anywhere. With so many options, how do you decide which platforms to use? Will Facebook or LinkedIn be better for you? Or are Instagram and Twitter the better choices?

When deciding which platforms to utilize for your personal brand, you need to answer this question: Who do you want to reach with your personal brand and which social media platforms are they using?

This step is really that easy. Using our medical student example, Facebook and LinkedIn are the best choices to reach potential healthcare employers and get them to notice you.

Step 3: Network with relevant professionals

Now that you’ve determined what your personal brand will be and chosen your platforms, it’s time to start networking and building relationships with other professionals. Start by finding and following relevant accounts in your field. Like and comment on their posts when you have something to add, as this will help you start to build relationships.

For our medical student example, following industry organizations, community healthcare leaders, potential employers, and industry experts will help build their professional network. When you see posts that align with the personal brand you’re trying to create, feel free to share them! For example, if a healthcare industry organization shares a post about an updated procedure, you can share this to your page as well.

Step 4: Share your knowledge and expertise

Social media gives you the perfect opportunity to show off your knowledge and expertise. Photos, videos, status updates, articles, blogs, tweets, and story posts are all great ways you can showcase your personal brand.

To figure out the best types of content to post, think about what the people you are trying to reach would be interested in. Photos and videos of hands-on skills like phlebotomy and taking vital signs would be great for a medical student to share. These show potential employers that you’re a trained professional who can get the job done.

Step 5: Always be yourself

Remember to always be yourself when creating content and interacting with others online. Your trying to build your personal brand to advance your career, but don’t forget to let your awesome personality shine through! People can tell when you’re genuine and authentic and this will help you make professional connections with them.

Put Your Career On The Fast Track

Now that you’re building your personal brand, get the education and training you need to put your healthcare career on the fast track with United Career Institute. Learn more about our Medical Assisting and Medical Office Administration programs and request information today to get started!