How Should you Brand Yourself and Build a Career in this Changing Economy?

Personal Brand

In today’s fast-changing economy, where AI can be used as a graphic design expert, startups can scale overnight, and companies break out the next “huge product” every single day, the most valuable skill you can learn isn’t coding, or finance, or marketing. It’s how to brand yourself. Your personal brand is what people say about you in rooms you aren’t in. It’s a combination of your skills, values, and reputation. It’s the impression you leave on teachers, employers, and peers. Building that brand starts by knowing what you stand for. Try writing down three key words that describe what you want your brand to be. For example, I wrote innovative, personable, and quick-thinking. Then, let every school project, teacher interaction, and DECA event you take part in reflect those qualities.

Online Presence

Next comes your digital footprint. Everyone from employers to college admissions officers look online long before they meet you, so take control of your digital narrative. Start by building a clean, professional LinkedIn page that highlights your interests, leadership roles, initiatives, projects, and achievements thus far. Try making a post and sharing some of the things you learned, while mixing in elements of your personal brand. Also, consider making a professional-looking website for yourself through sites like Wix. A website that shows yourself in the best possible light, surrounded by elements that strengthen your own personal brand and highlight your career goals and initiatives can go a long way in making you appear to be a serious businessperson. Lastly, as I’m sure you’ve heard before, be careful what you post and engage with online. Don’t do anything too risky, as you don’t want to blemish your own personal brand just because you liked a 6-7 fire edit (Instagram likes are public!).

Networking

Networking is another critical part of building your own brand. It’s not about getting as many LinkedIn connections or collecting as many business cards as possible. Instead, it’s about forming real relationships that can benefit you down the line. Start with the people around you: classmates, fellow DECA competitors, and alumni. Try to genuinely engage with them in conversation, so that if in the future you need something from them, it won’t be coming from a random person—make them remember who you are. To forge successful relationships, use the three Cs: “Curiosity, Consistency, and Contribution.” Don’t reach out only when you need help; instead, share your ideas and curiosity with them. Do this consistently, so that they will always remember who you are. And make sure to contribute as well; if they need you, be there for them, as a successful business relationship is a two-way street. People remember relationships more than they remember flashy titles, so always keep the three Cs in mind.

In the Future...

Finally, remember to keep your brand evolving. The jobs of 2030 might not even exist yet, and with so much changing it’s important to stay adaptable and on the lookout for new opportunities. Keep experimenting with your entrepreneurial ideas, apply for that internship you don’t think you can get, and just keep putting yourself out there, because you never know when something great might happen. During all of this, make sure to stay authentic; personal brand isn’t about being someone you’re not, it’s about showcasing the best traits of yourself. In a world full of change, make sure to stay flexible while also staying true to yourself.

Written by Rohan Khatri, VP of Leadership