8 Personal Branding Tips for College Graduates

Now that you’ve earned your college degree, you can begin your search for the job of your dreams. Before you start though, you need to work on your personal brand.

The reality is that the web is a recruiter’s number one tool, which is why it’s essential to know how to create an online profile that tells your story and stands out.

The following personal branding tips will help you attract more potential employers.

1. Be Genuine

Authenticity is an essential component of any personal brand. The key is to be genuine and not try to oversell yourself. Anything you add to your professional online profile should reflect who you truly are. What are your values? What motivates and drives you? And who are you as a person?

2. Get Clear on Your Purpose

The most successful personal brands are purpose-driven. You can discover your purpose by looking at your beliefs and values first. What are you most passionate about? What would you like to be remembered for? Work this into your personal branding profile and resume.

3. Decide What You Would Ideally Like to Do

To find the ideal job or career opportunity, decide what you would ideally like to be doing. Now, shape your profile to reflect this by shaping your skills and any experience around your ideal job or project.

4. Review Your Online Presence

Before you start promoting your personal brand, spend some time reviewing your existing online reputation and presence. Which platforms need clearing up and where should you promote your personal brand? Once you decide on 2 – 3 platforms, ensure you are conveying the same message across them all. This means getting your visuals right too. Now is the perfect time to take some professional headshots with a personal branding photographer.

5. Create an Elevator Pitch

If a potential client or employer had to contact you, would you know how to sell yourself? All college graduates should have a 30-second elevator pitch in place before they start

promoting their personal brands. Make sure your pitch includes your strengths, experience, and why you’re interested in a specific field.

6. Showcase Your Work

If you’ve already been working on a few projects, even for yourself, find ways to display them online. This will help your brand stand out from other graduates in your field. You can do this on a personal website or platforms such as LinkedIn.

7. Speak to Your Goals

Potential clients and employers want to know that you are focused on goal-orientated, so find ways to mention your goals and aspirations on any platforms you are present on. In fact, showcasing your existing projects and projects you would love to work on is another way to highlight your goals online.

8. Stay Humble

As you start your search for dream jobs and projects, stay honest and humble. You are starting from the bottom, so be prepared to work a little harder and take on odd projects that will help you build your experience. It will be worth it in the end.

In a world where professionals are all competing online, having a strong personal brand is a must. These tips will help set you on the right track.

Jamie Salima Love is a FingerLakes, NY and Boston MA based Headshot and Personal Branding Photographer extraordinaire. She has helped thousands of small businesses, brands, and entrepreneurs over her 20 yr career by creating updated photo libraries with stellar imagery. She is available for a multitude of services, whether you’re looking to work with her to simply update your Headshots, or to create an extensive Personal Branding Photography strategy and library with all the bells and whistles she’s got you covered.