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Building a strong brand in your career journey helps you to stand out and foster long-term career success. There is a difference between seeking for a job, having the job, keeping the job and building on the job. A job seeker is when you are open for a new job whether or not you are qualified, having a job is when you finally receive the job you applied for, a job keeper is when you retain your job by working smart and work hard, and job builder is when you make a decision to develop a unique profession or professional brand that you will be associated to.

As an individual in the workforce, it is advisable to have a career brand identity that will help you standout and be recognized with. In building a professional and personal brand, you must first identify yourself (self- identity).

Self-Identification is one of the key things you must look out for. Take the time to have a reflection of yourself. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, values, goals and passion. You have to identify what you are good at, what you do best, what are your unique skills, what profession are you passionate about, why are you passionate about such a profession, what values do you want to add in you line of work, what are your career goals, what do you want others to perceive about you? These are some of the many things you need to identify when building a professional and personal brand.

Next, you have to work on your academic qualifications and skill development in order to gain new skills and knowledge that emerge with industry trends. As a professional, it is important to keep learning, continuously improve on your expertise and skills until you become an expert in what youdo best. Your skills and academic growth must align to the profession you will  want to build on.Whether through professional programs, certifications, or hands-on experience and learning newskills, staying relevant and adaptable is key.

Thirdly, build a solid network whether online or offline. It is very important to connect with people, expand your territory, create awareness, get people to get to know you for who you are and whatyou do best. Take advantage of every opportunity  you have to network by being it at your work environment, educational institution, corporate and social events, social media.

Also, have a mentor and a career coach that can help you shape your career by providing guidance, support and overcoming challenges that you face in your field of work. Career coaches are experts in career planning who help individuals in their career advance. So, as part of your professional branding it is relevant to have a career coach and a mentor who can help you to be successful in your profession.

Leverage your digital presence. Go beyond the traditional branding and make good use of digitalization. In today’s era, your online presence is a big part of your brand. The use of social mediasuch as LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, Websites etc  can help you build a strong brand, create awareness, expand your network, impact lives and influence viewers on what they perceive about your brand. You use these platforms to share meaningful contents relating to your industry, articles
about your work field, or insights on your expertise. Also, use the platform to join online discussions, industry groups and forums with other industry players which can help with your credibility and network.

Finally, building a lasting professional and personal brand is beyond just getting hired, it’s about creating a career that reflects your strengths, values, aspirations and passions, ensuring you and not just in the working field associated with any organisation, but you are a job keeper to be aninfluential player in your field.