Consistency & The Personal Brand

Personal branding is now easier than ever, with most people already having a personal brand, even if they haven't actively identified it yet. Think of your personal brand as your "image", or the way in which others see you and what you have to offer. Outlets like social media help people promote this image, but often times, inconsistency can occur between the image you are portraying online or on the job, and who you actually are as a person. With that being said, here are three reasons why consistency is beneficial while you are identifying and shaping your own personal brand:

Confidence
If you are consistent with your personal brand, you will most likely experience a new found sense of confidence. But why? Because evaluating your strengths and positive characteristics helps you realize what exactly you have to offer, which naturally makes you feel good. In doing so, you also realize what you don't have to offer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing or a confidence crusher. It simply means you can now live in accordance with your strengths and build your personal brand to focus on what you can do, rather than what you can't.

Credibility
Consistency leads to credibility. If you are good at something and do a good job every time, others will notice. Personal branding and credibility both go hand in hand, but never forget that consistency is also key. If 4/10 jobs aren't done correctly, people will notice. If 10/10 jobs are done correctly, people will also notice. People want to know they can trust your work, so delivering your best every time will not only help you shape your own personal brand, but will also help you remain consistent with your strengths, all the while creating a positive reputation of yourself to your audience and peers.

Differentiation 
What makes you different from everyone else? This question is difficult to answer without a consistent personal brand. If you have no idea what makes you unique as far as strengths and skills, you can easily get lost in the crowd. The best way to remain consistent with your personal brand while standing out from the crowd is to identify what your audience wants and needs from you (and deliver!), and understand what sets you apart from the competition.

If you'd like to explore more on personal branding, check out "Personal Branding for Dummies" by Susan Chritton which actually inspired this blog post. We have a copy of her amazing book here at the Career Resource Centre so pop by to get more tips and information on how to identify and work on your own personal brand! If you can't come to the centre but want to read more, check out our other blog on personal branding here. Thanks for reading!

Scarlet Stark
Career Assistant
Psychology Major