The Personal Branding Blog offers career, workplace, networking, management, entrepreneurship advice and resources.

The Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand Written by Neil Patel & Aaron Agius Introduction What is branding? My parents like to tell a story from my childhood. What Makes a Great Life and Career Mentor? In the midst of preparing a plan for my life and career journey, I knew I needed a mentor. Someone who held high-level positions in the PR industry, to advise me on higher education, skill-development and to assist me in properly planning my career. But what should one look for in a mentor?

Personal branding Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands.[1] While previous self-help management techniques were about self-improvement, the personal-branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging.[1] The term is thought to have been first used and discussed in a 1997 article by Tom Peters.[2] Personal Branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group or organization.[3] Personal branding often involves the application of one's name to various products. For example, the celebrity real-estate mogul Donald Trump uses his last name extensively on his buildings and on the products he endorses (e.g. Trump Steaks). History[edit] Personal branding, self-positioning and all individual branding by whatever name, was first introduced in 1937 in the book Think and Grow Rich[citation needed] by Napoleon Hill.

All Work and No Play Makes Jack an Unbalanced, Burned Out, Workaholic “Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions.” – Mark Twain Outside of Churchill, Mantitoba almost ten years ago a polar bear became a viral sensation after he was photographed by renowned nature photographer Norbert Rosing. In the lens, Rosing captured two Canadian Eskimo sled dogs chained to a post as a polar bear approached. The other dogs in the kennel witnessing this 1000 lb predator approach went wild, barking and doing their best to scare off the threat.

5 Ways To Refresh Your Personal Brand In 2015 1515Are you ready to make 2015 the best year for your career? If so, it might be time to refresh your personal brand. Refreshing your personal brand will make you feel more confident about your career, discover new opportunities, and get noticed by employers. By refreshing your resume or updating your online portfolio, you can make small changes to your personal brand that will make a big impact on your career. Here are five ways to refresh your personal brand in 2015: 10 Power Tips for Connecting with Powerful People Image source: Pat Buntrock Nothing trumps great work but abilities aren’t enough. Ignorance and insensitivity destroy opportunities. Create A Simple Social Media Strategy In Fifteen Minutes It’s a New Year and a new you! Or, at least, that’s what most of us are in the habit of saying. We create resolutions and set goals and are determined to follow through. However, somewhere around February 1, the new shine of the year wears off and, for most people, the commitment to achieving those goals. If one of your goals is to use social media in 2015 to get a new job, grow your following, or attract business, using off-the-cuff tactics will not sustain you throughout the year.

How to Gain an Instant Advantage on the Job Search In this market, you need to leave people wanting more. And you need to move quickly to provoke that response. Here's a tool chest of devices for capturing and holding attention. If you execute them consistently, these practices will attract both employers and networking contacts, giving you the edge you need to get noticed, get remembered and get hired! 1.

Are You a Lame Career Seeker? I spoke recently to a group of approximately 40 job seekers who were alumni of a well respected and nationally ranked major university. They interacted well, asked questions, and seemed genuinely interested in the topic. I volunteered my time free of charge and made several offers of help to this audience. That’s the good news. Now for the bad news: The majority of the audience was composed of lame job seekers.

How to run your business like the honey badger More than 36 million impressions can’t be wrong! And as entertaining as the original honey badger video is, he’s not just about walking in slow motion and eating cobra. If you watch and listen carefully, you’ll notice several business tips hidden throughout. Check it out again to see if you can catch them all, or keep reading for seven specific business best practices, insights and recommendations from the most fearless animal in the animal kingdom. “Honey badger don’t care” If there’s a catch-phrase from the video, this is it. But don’t mistake the intent as carelessness. 2 Ways to Get to Know Who You Know Ready to take your networking to the next level of success? There are two practices that are the cornerstone to success in getting to know who you know: Use social media to earn a face to face meetingThank them and follow-up Use social media to deepen the connection