Personal Branding Starts With Differentiation

In my last post we talked about Branding Yourself for career success. Many career coaches today are talking about your need to develop a ‘Personal Brand’ which differentiates you amongst the rest, and propels your career. I just read an article this week where the author stated: “Differentiate yourself or die!” Sounds pretty bold, right? But it’s not too far from the truth. In this tough job market and economic climate if you don’t differentiate yourself from the millions of others trying to make it, your career and its possibilities will die quickly. So what does differentiation mean and how can I differentiate my ‘Personal Brand’ today from the rest?


Differentiation, in its simplest terms, means this: How do you show others (potential employers, stakeholders, business partners, etc) that you add value to their business? What value do you add and/or continue to add? What are you passionate about, and how do these skills or strengths add value to a potential business partner? Bottom Line—If you consistently add value by what you can offer, you will never be out of work. You will be In Demand.

When you develop your brand and differentiate yourself, you’re taking the first step toward Personal Independence—an independence that is freed from being dependent upon a ‘job’, corporation, etc. Is that first step scary for some? Of course! But your personal brand will always provide more opportunities for you in the long term then any corporation or job will do for you.

So where do you want to start with your Personal Brand? Make sure you don’t pigeon-hole yourself or set your scope too small. You want to differentiate yourself, but it’s important to not set your brand as one that is ‘valuable’ for today, only. You want to show that your foresight is strong and your value add can be used for months and years to come. For example if you’ve branded yourself as a Senior I.T. professional—show me how you’re different from the 4 million others with the same title. What value do you bring to my organization that will take this business to the next level in 6 months? These are REAL questions and you want to show that you’re at the TOP! Good Luck and show them that you’re different!