Building a successful personal brand

It is very important for individuals to create and nurture their personal brands in order to enhance their careers. Personal branding can be described as an exercise to define, develop and establish a preferred image of who you are and the type of person you want to be.
You have probably heard the saying that your reputation precedes you, therefore, it is very important that that reputation be a positive and well-managed one when you enter into the job market. Charity Kabasambu, a human resource manager, says sometimes recruiters have to rely on personal brands when making difficult choices between equally highly qualified candidates. “Usually a candidate with a strong personal brand will have an edge over others,”Kabasambu reveals.
Jean Byamugisha, the executive director Uganda Hotel Owners Association, too, believes that a strong personal brand gives jobseekers a huge advantage while looking for jobs. “You are your own marketing poster, how you present yourself says a lot about you to your potential employers. Sometimes what your papers say about you might not be enough and that is when the image you have built for yourself makes a big difference,” adds Byamugisha.
Hebert Odankie Mucunguzi credits careful and powerful personal branding for his more than two decades marketing career. Mucunguzi, who is also the Kweese TV chief executive officer, reveals that the blatant display of his passions always gives him an advantage while seeking jobs. “I am passionate about marketing, TV, travel, children and I let the world including would-be employers know this. Staying in the same industry for a long time also helps one become an authority in both form and substance,” says Mucunguzi.

Give no room for excuses
A strong personal brand makes one indispensable which gives them entitlement to higher remuneration. Journalist Paula Arinaitwe Butagira opines that a person with a strong personal brand should be paid more.
“I do not think formal mainstream education teaches personality, quick thinking and character. I also believe that having a PhD does not necessarily mean you would do the job better. We live in a very different world now. The skill sets needed are not taught in a classroom. At least not in a traditional classroom as we know it,” Butagira says.

Social media and branding
According to research, 92 per cent of companies are using social media as part of their talent strategy, with three out of four hiring managers checking out a candidate’s social media profiles. These statistics show the necessity for refining your personal representation on social media platforms, not just professional channels such as LinkedIn, but also other popular social websites and apps, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Important tips

Understand yourself. Carefully define your core values, interests and passions, motivation and what you want to achieve in life.
Have a vision. Once you have your vision, it is time to determine who your target audience is. Your target audience goes beyond an employer and customer. You are looking to build a community of people employers, peers and influencers.
Gather experience. Begin to build your story with past accomplishments and gaining strategically important new experiences. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use volunteering to gain experience. If you are a student, seek out multiple internships.
Get training. Nothing builds credibility in a brand more than establishing yourself as an expert in your field. This could be through formal training beyond the necessary minimum amount of education or studying with a highly respected personality in your chosen field. “Eric Van Veen’s publications and presentations were some of my yardsticks,” shares Mucunguzi.
Start promoting yourself. Write articles; give quotes on your thoughts, ideas, and opinions to journalists and reporters. Get your own Website or blog and social media accounts where you can publish all your articles and career portfolio.