Personal Branding

Personal branding refers to the professional impression you make and what affects it, and it includes many facets. Your professional dress, communication style, competence level and even your online presence all go into the professional impression that you are making. Your professional brand can be synonymous with your reputation. It is important to remember that it is not what you say about yourself but what people say about you, when you are not in the room. Even as a student, you can start building your personal brand today.

Some tips on how to do this is to establish a reputation as a new professional who is willing to learn, engage, and grow. Seek out opportunities to learn about professional norms for your prospective field. Join the campus chapter of a professional association or the honor society for your major. Attend a lecture series from a seasoned professional and ask questions in a class that is hosting a visiting employer. Get certified in Office Excel or some other tool that is relevant to your field. Position yourself as someone who is genuinely interested in your field and has a desire to learn more.

A Career Coach can help you fine tune your resume, identify target student organizations, develop an elevator speech, and optimize your LinkedIn profile.