11 ways to stand out with a strong personal brand

Looking for a job? Want to advance your career, start a business or meet likeminded people? You might want to consider refining your personal brand.

Your personal brand — much like a company’s brand — is what people say about you, feel about you and remember about you. It can help you stand out from the crowd, establish credibility, attract future employers and opportunities.

Here are some tips from Georgian’s brand experts on how you can shape your personal brand over time:

  • Start with an online audit. Google yourself. Take a close look at your social media accounts. If you were a potential employer, what might you think? Are you presented in the best light?
  • Ask people how they would describe you. Get friends, family members, co-workers and acquaintances to share five words they associate with you. Are there any commonalities? Words you aren’t proud of? Words you wish were on their list?
  • Define your core values. Your values should determine your priorities, inform how you conduct yourself and influence any decisions you make. Is it clear to others what your values are? Are you clear on what your values are?
  • Make time for what matters. What are you passionate about? What causes are you dedicated to? Are you doing the things you love? If not, how can you make them a priority?
  • Think about what makes you different. How do you stand out from others? What do you bring to the table? No two people are the same. So why are you unique? Infuse your personality in all you do. Be authentic — be you!
  • Craft a personal mission statement or life philosophy. What’s your purpose? Drill it down to one or two sentences.
  • Consider an elevator pitch. You’re going up or down a few floors with a potential employer or contact and have less than 30 seconds to describe who you are and what you do. Having a pitch will prepare you for unexpected conversations and opportunities.
Three Georgian students in C Building at the Barrie Campus looking at something on a laptop; sitting at a table

  • Know your audience. Who are you trying to connect with? If it’s a future employer, what qualities do they look for in a candidate?
  • Shape your online presence. Make sure your social media accounts are active. Think twice before you post something — and be purposeful in what you share. Every tweet, status update, photo, video, meme…it all contributes to your personal brand.
  • Have a professional profile picture. This is critical for LinkedIn. Don’t use a selfie. Have a friend take a nice photo of you in a well-lit area if you can’t pay a photographer to take a headshot.
  • Reassess. Like anything, your personal brand will evolve over time. Check often to see if it still reflects who you are, what you do and your goals.

Need some career advice or tips for preparing for life after graduation? Talk with experts in Co-op and Career Success.

Our categories

People of Georgian
Newsroom
Student life
Work experience
Money matters
Program stories