Brand Now!

It's come to my attention that a lot of college students still fail to realize the importance of personal branding. While it may seem like something reserved for full-time professionals, having a personal brand as a student will make it that much easier when you go out into the real world. Here are a few reasons why branding today is so important.

• Prepares you. If you start branding yourself early, you won't have a huge learning curve coming out of college. Branding now will allow you to be well-prepared and already create an established niche for yourself. 
• Focuses you. Once you begin to brand yourself, one central focus for all of your platforms becomes much easier. You begin to speak in the same voice both online and in person. Suddenly the transition from student to professional becomes a lot less intimidating and much more natural.
• Sets you apart. Because many students still have not taken the time to develop their personal brand, or just don't understand the importance of it, having your brand fully established will allow you to stand out. Professionals recognize when a student cares about their own professional development. It shows them that you are eager to learn and ready to work hard. 

The phrase, "Dress like the job you want, not the job you have," is definitely applicable here. It may seem overwhelming, or even unnecessary, to develop a brand while in college but doing so now will set you up for success later. 

Have you begun to develop your own personal brand? If so, share a few tips with how you accomplished that below!