Think about how people might describe you. What are some things that you are known for in your social groups or at work?
You might be:
- loyal
- organized
- the class clown
- smart
- a sports junky
- the Iron Chef of your neighborhood
The things you are known for — how you are perceived — is your personal brand.
You already have a brand whether you know it or not. You might not be aware of your brand right now, or how it affects your career or job search, but you do have a brand.
Instead of “personal brand,” maybe you think about your:
- Reputation
- Professional Self
- Public Image
- Career Identity
Your brand is what other people and what you think of yourself – the real you. Your brand is your authentic self.
The definition of branding (according to personal branding guru William Arruda) is your “unique promise of value.”
Unique = How are you different from your peers or other job seekers? What is special about your background, personality, skills or knowledge? What makes you stand out among other people in your career field?
Promise = Do you deliver what you say you will? If you say you are a “hard worker,” “work well with people, or “detail oriented,” then prove it in all of your work and volunteer projects. Your actions speak louder than words.
Value = Do the people with whom you work, or want to work for, know what you do and how you can help them? You only need to offer value to your target audience, not the whole world.
What do you know about yourself?
The most important part of personal branding is not how you promote yourself, or what other people think of you. The most important part of personal branding is what you know about yourself.
Do you know what you have to offer the world … or employers?
Personal branding starts and ends with you being your authentic, true self, and letting that shine through. Personal branding is about being real, not being noticed.
Also from DeniseMpls:
DeniseMpls Career Services 
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