The Unemployed Life

A Personal Branding Roadmap That Just May Work

We’ve been thinking a lot about “personal branding” here at Recessionwire. In an economy where there are more people looking than jobs—and it’s expected to stay that way for years, if forever—we’ve all got to take things into our own hands a bit more. Do what we can to stand out, and create a roadmap and profile for the careers we want. “Personal branding” is a big part of that.

Of course, it’s something that seems to make more sense for those who have a track record to shape into a story behind a personal brand. But even college students and grads should be thinking about how to position themselves and create their own platform, whether it’s to get a full-time job or chart an alternative path through starting a business or consulting or freelance work.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is doing a good job of addressing this issue, with a program called “Personal Branding Week.” It’s online and it’s free. There are instructive tips and accompanying worksheets that are really quite brilliant. But even though PwC says it’s focusing on students and grads, everyone should spend some time going through this process.

It begins with “your elevator speech.” This is meant to help you hone your focus and passion into something you really want to do, and can articulate. The tips include everything you need to know to present a successful elevator pitch, including looking the part. “Your passion” helps you access the things that interest you, and incorporate them into your life, so that you are living the “personal brand” you are aiming to own.

Next up is leveraging your network: who do you know in the fields you’re interested in? Tap into those you know for knowledge or contacts. The tips help you with ideas for developing those important relationships further.

Of course, no “personal brand” is complete without a honed online effort. PwC offers guidelines and steps for getting this right.

And finally, the company reminds you that flexibility is key—in terms of the opportunities you look for and the ways you find out about them.

Everyone, whether they are unemployed or just looking, would benefit from this little five-day course.

Tags: looking for a job, personal branding