Building your personal brand is now more important than ever. In a world of social media, people do not realize that what they do personally can affect them professionally. The internet is forever, and though that is a great and terrible thing, one wrong move can ruin your brand.

So what is a personal brand? Simply put: your reputation and how others perceive you.

It sounds silly but ask yourself this question: if people were having a conversation about you and you were not present, how would they describe you? Say you are a local business owner who offers a great product but you have the reputation of treating people terribly, do you think consumers will want to give you their business? Absolutely not. Your reputation is the foundation of your career.

When talking about building your brand it can sound daunting and most people don’t know where to begin. This process shouldn’t be scary or overwhelming. Start by identifying these key things:

Once you do this, you will essentially have created your own personal mission statement. If you stay authentic to yourself, your personal brand should make a positive and accurate impression on others before they meet you. Remember, your reputation should precede you!

Blog Written by KCYP Member Caitlin St. Mark

_____

Caitlin St. Mark is the Practice Manager for Coeur d'Alene Plastic Surgery & OSI Hand Surgery. She was born and raised in North Idaho and while not at work, she loves spending time outdoors, hiking, traveling and being with her husband and two kids.