The ever-changing nature of today's competitive job market means that professionals, even those in healthcare, also need to be willing to adapt. While a standard resume was once enough, today's market requires crafting a strong personal brand to set yourself apart from other applicants.

Crafting a well-defined personal brand can build a reputation, advance your career goals, and help you gain access to career opportunities. In this article, we'll explore the most important components to consider to help you start to establish your brand as a healthcare provider.

BuildingaPersonalBrandEstablishingYourProfessionalIdentity

What is a personal brand?

When you first hear the term "personal brand," you may think, "Why do I need a personal brand?" A personal brand allows you to encompass your professional skills, experiences, and workplace values. Your brand is all about how you want people to perceive and view you. Through your brand, you will highlight your unique skill set and strengths that make you more than just words on a paper resume.

Benefits of a well-defined personal brand

Establishing a well-defined personal brand offers tons of benefits that can help support your career goals. For example, you can highlight yourself and showcase your strengths in the best way possible to help make the career advancements career you seek. Some other key benefits of crafting a personal brand include:

Building confidence
Building new relationships
Fostering professional credibility
Opening up new work opportunities/positions
Increasing visibility in your niche

In healthcare careers, a well-defined personal brand is important in how you present not only to fellow staff members but also to patients. Personal branding can help differentiate you in a competitive market, as well as build trust and credibility in your role.

How to begin building a personal brand

The first step in building a successful personal brand is to consider who you are, what you are interested in, and where you want to go in your career. Getting in touch with the answers to these questions right from the start can help you narrow down your focus when crafting your personal brand. Some questions you may want to consider include:

What are your professional interests?
Where do you excel?
What makes you unique?
What areas have you recently grown in?
Where do you see yourself going? What are your short-term and long-term goals?
What is your “why”? (Or, why do you do the things you do?)

Look at your online platforms

Your online presence says a lot about you and your brand, so don't forget to consider how you will present yourself on online platforms. If your employer's social media policy allows, social media may be useful to help support your brand.

This may include examining ways to enhance your LinkedIn profile or even making your website or portfolio. A website or portfolio gives you a location to highlight things you want to share, such as professional achievements or examples of your work. View these platforms as opportunities to showcase your unique strengths and make yourself stand out.

Between platforms, you will want to maintain a steady, consistent brand. For example, if you use a tagline or phrase on one page, use the same across all online platforms. This helps promote your "brand recognition" and develop your authority within your field.

Next steps in branding

Crafting your personal brand takes time and patience. This is not something you can do overnight! It also requires lots of thought to ensure your brand is authentic and truly reflects who you are. Taking the next steps in branding yourself might also be focused on enhancing networking and attending more events where you can improve your brand presentation.

As you continue to work on improving your personal brand, we invite you to connect with our wider group. Join our ChenMed Talent Community and subscribe to our monthly newsletter, "Talent Talk," for exclusive insights and opportunities that can further your career.