First, you need to understand what a highly effective brand is made off. This knowledge will let you take action from a highly motivating vantage point.

Identify your personal brand archetype

Your archetype reveals the elements you excel at. It shows where your passions lie. And identifying it early on in the personal branding process lets you bake a robust conceptual core into the centre of your brand.

Identify your core values

The strongest personal brands have values at their core. They look forward to what you will achieve, rather than backward at where you came from. Spending time at this stage will pay dividends later. Authenticity is paramount.

You are passionate. What you bring to your industry is unique. These are the things that should shine through to your branding. People don’t want a list of what you’ve done – for that they can read your CV. Instead, they want to understand your story.

Think about how your responsibilities, experiences, achievements, education, and vision fit together, and how to package this.

Clarifying how your brand will support your career objectives

It’s essential to understand how your brand will assist you in achieving your career objectives, both in the short and long term.

Building a brand isn’t just an exercise that career coaches do with their clients. Instead, it’s a process that ties together your experience, your current situation, your skills, and your vision.

With this done, you are much better equipped to deal with the future. You are not drifting through a career, being buffeted by chance happenings. Instead, you are curating a journey on your terms.

An understanding of where you want to be in the future will strengthen your personal brand, and in turn, a stronger personal brand will help you to get to the future you want.