Mind Your Brand

When you hear “Trump” what words come to mind? You may think of “luxury,” “success,” or “business.” The associations that you make are no accident; Donald Trump has intentionally created them through vigorous attention to his personal brand. Personal branding is the process by which you deliberately create, control, and maintain your professional reputation. It touches on nearly every aspect of your career life, from how you dress and communicate with others to your social media presence and the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have at your disposal.

Anyone in any profession can create and maintain a personal brand; it is not limited to white-collar workers or CEOs. While there are plenty of resources at your disposal in print and online to help you start shaping your brand (the works of Dan Schawbel and Tom Peters are a great place to start), here are some questions to guide you in your journey of self discovery and professional control.

• How do those I work with describe me professionally?


• What do I think I am currently doing that makes me a strong professional?


• What knowledge, skills, and abilities do I need to further my career?


• What do I do to show others that I enjoy my career?


• How does my online reputation project the professional persona that I want it to?