I recently spoke to a colleague about the importance of college students building their personal brand to support their networking and job search activities. A personal brand is a unique combination of factors that create your identity and define what other professionals will remember about you. It is the lasting impression you make on others.
What are these factors? Your skills, your experiences, your physical and online presence, and your values are a large part of what makes up your personal brand.
A personal brand is not something that can be established overnight and it is something that evolves as you gain experience and refine your objectives. You may be thinking, “I’m in college and I have limited work experience. How do I build this ‘personal brand?’ The fact is there are things that you can do that will give you a good start on building a positive personal brand and leaving a favorable impression.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Establish a Professional Presence Online
Create a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn offers you the opportunity to publicly share your education, experience, accomplishments, and skills. Try to have as complete a profile as you can, including having a professional-looking headshot. (Some college campuses offer free headshot booths
through career services.) Don’t worry that you have limited experience or accomplishments. You will add to and adjust your profile as you gain experience. You also can use LinkedIn to showcase your work such as key college projects that might be relevant to anyone looking to hire you.
While LinkedIn is the primary social platform for professionals, other social platforms can be used to share your experiences as appropriate for the industry you are targeting.
Gain Work Experience
Work experience is important to building your brand because you gain practical experience. Opportunities may be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, but the experience counts. Your career interests may not be finalized and you may want to explore different fields as you gain experience. Pursue internships and co-ops in your field of interest. Part-time jobs in a targeted industry are an option to gain exposure to the business. Volunteer opportunities can also give you valuable insight into your industry of interest. Make sure you capture all of your experience in your resume and your LinkedIn profile.
Gain Relevant Skills and Showcase Them
As you target a particular role or industry, identify skills that are considered important to success and focus on acquiring them. You can do this through coursework, online classes, or completing work toward a specific certification. This demonstrates your strong interest in a position and is evidence that you have the needed skillsets. Again, document relevant education and certificates in your LinkedIn profile.
Develop a Personal “Value Proposition”
Think about what you bring to your profession of choice and put this into words. Your value proposition should summarize what you uniquely bring to any employer. This is a combination of your passionate interests, your skills, your experiences, and your values that make you a good “fit” for a company or a specific role.
Create a 30-Second Introduction
Create a brief introduction you can share with anyone who asks you about your interests. This short intro should include your name, what you are interested in doing, and why.
This is not an exhaustive list but these are basic, actionable steps you can take to begin building a strong personal brand. As a coach focused on helping college students and recent grads find their first professional positions, I collaborate with college and university placement officers to create and deliver programs to get students ready to interview for internships and full-time positions. Reach out to me at Kerrie@CommandtheInterview.com to learn more about how I can help.