Welcome to my 4-part “Pimp Your Career” series.

This post will be about your personal brand.  When people think of you, what do they think?  Sales guru, marketing manager, computer geek, public-relations person, etc…  This is your personal brand.  If the answer you get is different from the one you want, you have some work to do.  There’s a lot out there right now about personal branding.  You need to know what that means for you, and you need to know how to take maximum advantage of it.  Your personal brand is what makes you special.  It’s how you distinguish yourself from everyone else sales.  It’s how you market yourself. 

Think about how corporate brands market themselves.  They are everywhere, and you should be, too.  By that, I mean:

1.  Have a Facebook page

2.  Create a profile on LinkedIn

3.  Interview On Demand offers a CareerView profile for jobseekers that not only includes your resume, but also a video where you can answer a few interview questions and include a “why should you hire me” summary.  It’s a great tool to add a little kick to your resume, and it’s more professional than YouTube.

4.  Do some blog writing– on your own blog, or as a guest contributor on one that’s related to your field.

5.  Have a personalized signature on all your e-mails, so that when people see it, they think of you.  Have a logo.  Even on personal e-mail accounts. 

6.  Keep up with your network through phone calls and e-mail.  Don’t lose track of people who will be great references for you.

If you’re having trouble defining yourself, ask others what they think is special about you.  What makes you different from others in your field?  Go to Dan Schwabel’s blog.  It’s THE source for info about personal branding. 

Think about personal branding in terms of your elevator pitch.  It’s the answer to the “what do you do?” and the “tell me about yourself” questions.  Your personal branding statement is going to highlight your best attributes, and be quick, focused, and memorable.

Seth Godin points out that people make decisions based on little scraps of information all the time:

It’s not fair but it’s true. Your blog, your outfit, the typeface you choose, the tone of your voice, the expression on your face, the location of your office, the way you rank on a Google search, the look of your Facebook page…

You Should Also Check Out This Post:

• How to Answer Interview Questions About the Least Favorite Part of Your Last Job
• How to Answer Interview Questions About the Future You
• How to Answer Interview Questions About What You Could Have Done Differently
• How to Answer Interview Questions About Why You Were Not Promoted
• How to Answer Interview Questions About Going Against Corporate Directives

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