I’ve read No Logo by Naomi Klein, and I understand the arguments she makes; the fact remains, however that she does something similar to Adbusters Magazine: she sells rebellion. The cover to her book was definitely designed to have the greatest appeal, and not merely made simple to avoid branding and logo design. She makes valid points, and I’m not entirely serious when I say you should have your own logo. It is, however, becoming increasingly necessary to differentiate ourselves from other job seekers. With massive job cuts coming from all sectors, now is NOT the time to blend in with everyone else. My graduation is fast approaching and I realize that there already exist many equally-qualified applicants out there and the multitude of grad classes only adds to that heap. Therefore, what is required borders on the ridiculous – become your own brand. You’ve already become a product in many ways, so why not take some of that back in order to DEFINE yourself. Are you simply an aggregate of your likes/dislikes, where you shop and what you watch on television? I doubt it, so re-brand yourself. But be careful when you do so because it doesn’t always work. For example, I think Bell did a great job of doing it but I miss the old Pepsi logo.While very few people can lay claim to an Oprah or Obama-like brand power (maybe I should change my name to Olivia), this should not discourage us from beginning the journey into personal branding.

WHERE DO YOU START?

The process of finding rewarding and worthwhile careers has rarely been as complex and difficult as it is today. Gone are the days where you sift through job ads from companies who advertise their available positions. It’s time to take a more proactive approach and seek out your own career path, and personal branding is going to help you sell yourself. Presenting an appealing image certainly helps to convince prospective employers, clients or investors that you’re serious. If nothing else, it demonstrates that you’re a hard worker who is willing to devote time and effort to your own self-development. So how do you achieve this? Let me help you to foresee, with my four C’s:

CREATIVE

Depending on your chosen field, this may not be as important. It can’t hurt, however, to present a creative and entertaining personal brand to potential employers. This is your chance to show off graphic design, writing abilities, cleverness, and plain old gumption (shrew or spirited initiative and resourcefulness). Make your brand something that an employer wants to buy. What makes YOU want certain brands over others? It certainly isn’t limited to the quality of the product, is it? Sometimes, certain brands just call out to us. We want to be around them, have them in our lives and be seen with them. You want to become that brand to someone. A creative example from right here in Canada is Bell’s fairly recent (last summer) re-branding effort, which employed a new logo and elements of that logo in various ads. They’re called “bell-ements” and aside from having a creative name they become a catchy piece of the overall branding. Do something cool and eye-catching to market yourself!

COMPREHENSIVE

While a website with a static image of your resume may do the trick for some, it’s hard to argue against having a multi-faceted approach in the case of personal branding. There is such a thing as a design that is too cluttered, however, so be sure to consult with friends or professionals who can offer valid opinions. Again, I realize that technology scares some of you, but it’s better to tackle it while you’re still in school than upon graduation when the pressure of finding a career outweighs all other concerns. Just as a physical portfolio stands out among a sea of resumes, so does an online portfolio when an employer has MB’s of resumes on-hand. It needn’t even be flashy, as your experience is ultimately a large part of your marketablity. Being able to succinctly demonstrate your various jobs, courses, volunteer experience, technical skills and credentials on an attractive website brings an employer into YOUR world. The way we interact with our information is different than 5 years ago, so it’s time to adapt if you haven’t already.

COHERENT

During the course of my university career, and through recent jobs, I think I have acquired the ability to make sense. You may laugh, but I remember when I first started university, coming from a small town thinking I knew it all, only to be shocked at how poorly I was able to construct sentences. If you are relying on your written words to impress employers, then you had better make sure that what you’re saying is coherent. First, you want to make sure you get your point across. Second, you don’t want your reader to run away screaming after only a few of your sentences. Finally, if the job requires communications skills, then you’ll be doing yourself a huge favour by being clear in your sales approach. Ever see an ad or a brand and wonder what exactly they stood for? You don’t want anyone to be left with that impression after encountering YOUR brand, so clarify yourself right from the beginning.

CONSISTENT

Not everybody possesses the necessary skills to create a website, business cards, portfolio, social media connections and/or professional network. I understand that for many this poses great obstacles, but be aware that it is becoming the rule rather than the exception. For better or worse, technology is beginning to define and shape our ability to garner the right kind of attention. The key, then, is to be consistent in whatever it is that you do. What I mean is that regardless of your abilities, it’s crucial to be aware of how each of your various pieces of personal branding work together. If you have business cards with maroon/gold and the image of a pendulum then your website should not be blue and orange with a lion on it. Just as corporations employ consultants to create corporate identity packages that demonstrate a consistent image, so should YOU be careful in the crafting of your personal identity.

LinkedIn

The site says:
Over 30 million professionals use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities.
* Stay informed about your contacts and industry
* Find the people & knowledge you need to achieve your goals
* Control your professional identity online

Nick says: I haven’t tried LinkedIn (yet) so I can’t speak from personal experience, but I have had friends tell me it’s worth joining. Facebook is the furthest thing from a professional networking site, and LinkedIn seems to be the hottest alternative right now. It’s worth checking out, I’d say.

Twitter

The site says:
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Nick says: At first, Twitter seems pointless to a lot of people. I tried my hand at it but at the time I decided I had more pressing commitments. If used properly, however, I think microblogging has a place in an overall personal branding structure. If you’re planning to try it out, I would suggest doing some research into the best methods to maximize your experience. Learn from those who know Twitter!

Blogger

The site says:
Create a blog. It’s free.
* Your blog. Share your thoughts, photos, and more with your friends and the world.
* Easy to use. It’s easy to post text, photos, and videos from the web or your mobile phone
* Flexible. Unlimited flexibility to personalize your blog with themes, gadgets, and more.

Nick says: Although there have been many improvements to Blogger in the past couple of years, I still think it is lacking a little. It’s great for your first blog, as it is simple to set up and maintain. There are many themes out there, and also a plethora of sites with tips on customizing your blog.

Wordpress

WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time. More simply, WordPress is what you use when you want to work with your blogging software, not fight it.

Nick says: Wordpress is a little more robust than Blogger and has a ton of useful plugins, but it can require more html, css and javascript knowledge than Blogger. It’s worth having a look at, though, if you want to have more control over your site. Look into web hosting and getting your own domain, rather than using the Wordpress-hosted option.