Personal branding is a four-step process of uncovering your uniqueness, creating a consistent message and image, communicating that across platforms, and maintaining your brand over time. It allows individuals to differentiate themselves, stand out from others in their field, and achieve specific goals like enhancing recognition, establishing credibility, and advancing their career. The key is leveraging your unique value proposition - what makes you excellently qualified - in a consistent way.

1. Section A: Unit 2
Defining Personal Branding

2. Personal branding is about standing out from the crowd
“Personal branding describes the process by which
individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves
and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating
their unique value proposition, whether professional or
personal, and then leverage it across platforms with a
consistent message and image to achieve a specific
goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their
recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation
and credibility, advance their careers and build self-
confidence.”
Dan Schawbel – Personal Branding Guru
We will use this quote as a starting point for developing our
definition of personal branding
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You
earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos

3. Personal Branding Definition
A process
Differentiate yourself Stand out from the crowd
• Enhance recognition
• Establish reputation and
credibility
• Advance career
Unique value proposition
• Build self-confidence
Consistent message Specific goal
and image

4. Personal branding is a process
Personal branding is a four step process:
• Uncover Uncover your uniqueness
• Create Create your unique
personal brand
• Communicate Have a consistent message and
use various platforms to
communicate this message
• Maintain Always update and
maintain your brand
You need to take several actions in order to develop your brand.
You also need a strategic plan for developing your brand.

5. Personal branding is about
standing out from the crowd
Do “market research”
Your “sweet spot” or
competitive advantage
What people
want most
What your What you do
competitors best Self-discovery
What do other struggle with
graduates not
have
“If you want to be known for everything, you will be known for nothing.”
- Anonymous

6. Personal branding is about finding
your unique value proposition
This is the answer to…
“Why should a company hire me and not someone else?”
or
“Past, current, prospective employers hire me because…”
Create a unique value proposition that:
• Is in-line with your market’s challenges and desires
• Communicates the unique contribution that you will be able to make
Your unique value proposition should differentiate you and
communicate your excellence

7. Personal branding is a consistent message
and image that achieves a specific goal
Set a specific goal or objective
Personal Branding
Verbal or non-verbal message
Achieve goal or objective

8. Personal branding is about enhancing your
recognition

9. Reputation and Credibility

10. Summary
Personal branding is:
• Uncovering your authentic self
• Using your uniqueness to advance your career
• NOT about putting on a mask
"Regardless of age, regardless of position,
regardless of the business we happen to be in,
all of us need to understand the importance
of branding. We are CEOs of our own
companies: Me Inc. To be in business today,
our most important job is to be head
marketer for the brand called You."
Tom Peters in Fast Company, 1997

11. That’s it for the “admin”…
Now you can take the first steps in creating your
personal brand
The next step:
Click on the Brand-O-Meter quiz to assess where you are in
creating your personal brand