Personal branding is for people who are smart and talented by not good at branding themselves effectively. It’s for people who have come to realize that they need to take control of their career identity, job-hunt and career success. You can’t rely on (or blame) your university or on luck or other people.
The only person you really have control over is you. The only person who can develop a strong career plan that’s best for you is you. The relationship you have with yourself is your most important relationship. The more pro-active and self-reliant you are, the more luck and options will come your way.
You’ll have a surge in self-esteem as one benefit of finding your own solutions and options. You need to own your value, the real, tangible value that you – and only you offer – and use the principles of branding to stand out and get what you deserve in this job market.
Branding is a strategic and creative process, one that flourishes when you approach it with a sense of fun and exploration and withers when you are too analytical or try too hard.