Why Personal Branding Matters

Why should I bother with personal branding? For decades people have gotten along just fine with going to college, writing resumes, and going to interviews just fine without personal branding? Or have they?

The question you need to ask yourself is: Do I want an exceptional career or one that is "just ok". You can probably have an ok career, salary, and life without personal branding. You can muddle along and follow the standard path of career advancement, and if you're lucky you'll even do it in the right field for you.

If you want an extraordinary career, however, personal branding will help you get there faster and easier. Successful people have always used personal branding, whether they knew it or not. Knowing, living and communicating your personal brand brings:

• The Right Career Field For You
• Easy and Fun Work
• The Right Projects and Assignments
• Rapid Career Advancement
• Rapid Salary Increase
• High Job Satisfaction
• Easy Job Hunting
• Career Opportunities That Come to You

When you know, live and communicate your personal brand, your life gets easier. Which of these choices would you prefer?

1. Start job hunting by writing your resume, searching job boards, applying to job after job, hoping your resume makes it through the databank black hole and get a call for an interview.
2. Have a friend, recruiter, colleague or hiring manager call you asking you to send your resume to him/her?

If you answered #2 then personal branding is for you. It's a strategy that works and takes some time to develop and implement. However, if you are being yourself at work and home you may be well on your way to understanding your personal brand.

When you know your personal and live it, you get to go straight to your goals. No need to meander or muddle your way through the maze of career choice. Why take 5 years to get promoted if you can do it in 3 years? Why settle for average job performance when you can be a top performer and reap the rewards? Why be miserable in your job? Why move from miserable job to miserable job? Would you like to go from a good job to a great job?

Personal branding and the willingness to do some hard work to start with will pay off with great rewards for you. As long as you put in the effort it's virtually fail proof.