What a professional brand looks like

A professional brand is a concept that conveys what service or product you offer and why it is valuable to employers. It usually includes emotional or descriptive words that you want others to associate with you, the specific product or service you offer, and some visual elements that reinforce your brand. Below is an example of an online profile that demonstrates these aspects of professional branding.

Professional Brand Example

  1. Brand Statements may not always be written out in full, but having one will help you drive the decisions you make on your various tools including online profiles and your resume.
  2. Professional profiles online often provide a space for a background image. This image is a way for you to reinforce your brand statement through imagery or convey something about your personality that you want others to know about you.
  3. All online profiles should include a professional photo. Think about your industry’s culture and go with something in line with it. For example, a person in the legal field may choose business attire while someone in film may choose something more edgy.
  4. Headlines are a great quick way to reveal to your audience what your actual role in an organization is or could be. Even young and new professionals should have one. How else will anyone know where you might fit in?
  5. In tools like your resume and online profiles, you have the opportunity to summarize your skillset and highlight your abilities. This example is tailored for an online profile and is a little more conversational than it might be on a resume.

Keep in mind:

  • Don’t assume that you are too young, too new to your field, or otherwise unable to have a brand. At a basic level, a brand is an idea that you can communicate to people you meet along the way and within your marketing portfolio (e.g. your resume, a networking pitch, and online profiles).
  • Observe how leaders in your field and even leaders in general go about their own professional branding. CEOs of big companies and successful professionals you know will all help you learn more about what professional branding can look like for you.