How to create your personal brand Pt.2

Whether or not you are intentional about creating your personal brand, you have one. Deciding to be purposeful in creating your personal brand is just about controlling the message and thinking about how the things you do both online and offline affect your professional identity. 

As I talked about earlier this week, there are five top components that have helped me when it comes to personal branding: 

• Origin story (part 1)
• Core values
• Core skills
• Core community
• Defined contribution

Once you've figured out the key points to your origin story, it's time to think about your core values and core skills. Open up a word doc or grab a pen and write yours down (be sure to include your origin story points too); when this all comes together, you will be happy you did. 

Core values

Core values are the things that define your decisions. They are the concepts that, when defied, make you angry. For example, my top three core values are inclusivity, diversity, and sincerity. What are yours?  

There are lists online to get you thinking about your values. Think about what makes you angry and you will usually be able to find a core value. When it comes time to look for a job, you'll want to make sure it aligns with your core values or you could find yourself in a very unhappy place, conflicted with a company's core values. 

Core skills

What are the top three things you are really good at and really enjoy doing? What do people compliment you on? What do you feel like you do exceptionally well? These are your top skills, and writing them down and thinking about how they relate to all of the other elements of your personal brand will help narrow down your search for your future job. 

If you're having trouble you can also scan skill lists online to think about where you really shine.

We'll talk about your core community and defined contribution next week, and when it all comes together you will be on your way to controlling your brand message and being memorable in a way that wins you scholarships and jobs. Woo hoo! 

Personal branding can be a big topic with a lot of elements and great discussions, so if you have any questions about it please send them my way at isa@communitycollegesuccess.com or ask on the Facebook wall. 

Stay tuned and have a great weekend!