When we think of the term “brand”, we often think of companies or our favourite products but we don’t usually think of ourselves. The reality is that as individuals who are managing our careers, we need to have our own brand as well. Your personal brand enables you to communicate to your target audience (the organization/business you want to work for, or with) about what makes you unique, relevant and valuable. In turn, this helps you reach your career and/or business goals.

How do you create your personal brand? Here are three activities you’ll need to do to get started.

Identify your goals: Take some time to think about where you want to navigate your career. What types of work or projects would you like to complete? What sectors appeal to you? What positions would you like to hold? Once you have an idea of where you would like to take your career, then you will be able to set the tone of your personal brand statement.

Identify your target audience: A good marketing strategy is formulated with the purpose of attracting a specific audience. In the same manner, your personal brand statement needs to be written to capture the attention of a specific group (i.e company/business). This is important because you will have to incorporate your audience into your statement.

Identify your strengths: Self-assessment is very important in order to gain insight regarding what you have to offer. Every organization wants to know how you can add value to them; if you don’t know your strengths then you have no idea what you have to offer. Consider using an online, competency-based, self-assessment tool to identify your strengths. You can also ask your colleagues and managers what they think your strengths are, based on the work you have completed together.

Once you have identified all these components, you can start writing your statement. Your statement needs to include your specific strengths/skills, how you are going to use these strengths and skills to add value, and to who, or to what, you are going to add value. It shouldn’t be more than 2-3 sentences.

For example: A target-driven individual with 5 years of technical recruiting experience, I am able to meet stringent hiring needs by using my creative sourcing techniques to match the most suitable IT candidates to small, medium and large organizations.

Where to use your personal brand statement?

You can leverage your personal brand statement in many areas and situations including your LinkedIn profile heading, your email signatures, at networking events, or just about any time someone asks you what you do.

While a personal brand statement is an essential component to your career portfolio, as your career progresses, your brand statement should be tweaked to reflect your new goals and competencies. Create a powerful statement but don’t forget to refer back to and update it as necessary as you reach your career milestones.

Dena Marcos is the Job Developer for the Bridge to HR Program at Job Skills in the Newcomer Services Division. In addition to Dena’s several years of Human Resource Management experience, she has her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management. Dena is a member with the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) where she has obtained her Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.

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