Five Things You Can Do To Build An Amazing Personal Brand in 2018

It’s that time of year. Eyes are lit up with conversations of “resolutions” and “goals”, drinks are being passed over because of the latest diets and people are asking themselves, “What’s next?” This question is often geared towards thoughts of job opportunities: Am I at the right company? Will I be valued and receive that promotion I deserve? Whether looking to take a next step at your current place of work or looking to seek other options, your first step should be looking at yourself and your personal brand. Read below for a few tips on how to set yourself apart in a crowded sea of eager go-getters and sell the best version of yourself.

1. Reflect On What You Want and What You Do Best

Everyone’s got their something. Take some time to think about what you’re passionate about and what you do well. Is this what you do day-to-day? If you love analytics, but your 9-5 is primarily copywriting, think about how you can bring in some aspects of your passion regularly. Articles on the importance of data, for example? Let your manager know about your other talents. Ask colleagues if you can shadow what they do to determine if this is the path you want to go down. It’s a new year, the time to take chances is now.

2. Refresh Your Online Presence

Auditing your online presence may be the most important step in this list. It would be very difficult to have a strong personal brand without knowing where you stand in the digital space. Start by Googling yourself. Take notice of what is on the first page. Does your LinkedIn come up high in the search? If not, this is a great place to begin. Make sure your full LinkedIn is filled out to ensure it surfaces in a quick name search. Here’s a quick checklist of what should be included on your profile:

• Start with a professional photo. No, that selfie from three years ago is not a professional photo. Stand against a white background, with good lighting. Check out this collection with some of our favorites for an idea of what to wear.
• Make sure you include an up-to-date title and location.
• Fill out your summary with your three biggest achievements. If these can be quantifiable, even better!
• Keep your work history current and add your portfolio and/or documents to your experience section.
• Add links to relevant work-related blogs or online portfolios.

3. Make A List of All Your Advocates

Knowing who’s in your corner is always a key part of a self-assessment. Put together a list of people you’ve worked with who can, not only write endorsements on LinkedIn but be your references if you decide to apply for new positions is very important. These people can also be called upon for their opinions on companies they work for and/or if they know of places or positions that may match your skill set. This is a great way to network.

4. Create A Personal Website

Having your own personal site is a great way to have your name higher on search engines. Though this may sound daunting, it does not have to be. Create a simple and free two page site on WordPress with your resume, link to your social platforms, and a brief bio. Update the site, when you feel comfortable, with new achievements as you see fit!

5. Write Valuable Content

Every post, tweet, and image you share digitally adds to your personal brand. Share posts that speak to your passion and personality. Also, make sure the content you share is something you’d be comfortable with an HR manager viewing.

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