Have you thought about what makes almost everyone choose peak milk over any other milk in the Nigeria market or why children prefer Coca-cola over Pepsi at a birthday party? The answer is simple – Branding. These products might not necessarily be the best, but with the way they are branded and advertised, they have succeeded in winning over the many hearts of its customers. More so, they have stayed long enough in the market and have been able to understand its targeted customers so well. This makes them to keep bringing up new products or rebranding their products in such a way that it appeals most delectably to the masses as well as remain competitive with other brands.
But then, branding is not only just for products anymore. It also involves humans, which we know as SELF BRANDING. If you may ask, what is branding? Branding is a promise of value & quality. It is all about building reputation for great service, honesty and trust.

In the career aspect, a lot of people keep asking “why are others more successful than they are?” okay lets take an example of Bill Gates, we all know his story, he took the leap of faith and proceeded to act on his ideas and knowledge. Today he is an entrepreneur and his company is successful, he has made a name for himself. So much that whenever, you hear of Microsoft what comes to your mind is Bill Gates. Branding played a critical role in achieving such an enviable status. So many people must have called him a crazy man at the initial stage when he opted to quit school and pursue his ambition; but the point is that he has built a successful career, created more jobs in his country, revolutionalized the IT industry, helped millions of people around the world through his foundation and has made lots of money too. I have no doubt in my mind that he is a fulfilled man.

So back to the topic again, “How can one successfully brand his/her career successfully? Branding is all about building a reputation for yourself, showing what sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. You can successfully brand yourself by choosing to live intentionally. That way you can consciously take charge and responsibility of your actions and do things for a reason. Don’t just wake up in the morning to do what every other person does. That is a mediocre way of life, rather take your decisions because it is the right thing to do and you will be proud any time to defend your actions if the need arises. Think long term and standard too.
Take for example, you are job seeker, “have the thought of branding yourself ever crossed your mind?” Most jobseekers are not very proactive in establishing their career brand. Let’s say you were invited over for an interview, and you turn up an hour late, looking shabbily dressed. You have obviously given the interviewer the impression that you are the wrong person for the job, even if you are an “A” student.
So also the people that have a job, but are not contributing towards the growth of their company. Or maybe you are contributing but your efforts aren’t noticeable simply because you are not VISIBLE in the organization. The result of this situation is that someone else will take the credit at the end of the day. You need to do something fast otherwise you will not be useful to the organization in the nearest future.
By the way, why will you enjoy earning a salary without showing anything or contributing positively? That is an age long industrial thinking. Those days during our parents time when you have so many companies recruiting in mass. You can get away without performing much and still get a paycheck.  Now there are crises and downturn, so many companies are having financial problems and are retrenching people frequently. Some intentionally want to minimize expenses and maximize profit. The job that is supposed to be done by five people can now be carried out by one person with the help of computer. You can’t run away from the sledge hammer with the motion that you are a good team player, because most times you will be given a role to carry out without supervision. The moment you screw up, you are kicked away immediately, and some one else will gladly take over your position. Remember the number of people searching for jobs surpasses the number with job today in our country. The only way to get ahead is to acquire more skills, knowledge about what you do and then brand yourself in such a way that you will be visible in your organization.
Branding will give you the unfair advantage you desire. Look at other successful people what they do and learn from them. That is the only way you can get better at what you do. Experience, commitment and your attitude speaks more. So with all this I have said, I have no doubt you will put more effort by branding yourself in the following area;
• Your career (acquire more knowledge)
• General appearance
• Your dress sense (dress for success)
• Your attitude to work
• Your communication pattern
• Your presentation skills
• Your personal hygiene
• Your integrity (never compromise standards)
• Your networking style etc.



Wishing you Success

Start by outlining all the areas of your life where you want to achieve success and happiness. This would certainly include your career, but also your social life, relationships, children and places you would want to live. It’s never too early to start a bucket list, and it should be directly linked to your brand and ultimately, your plan.

Remember that your personal brand definition should be aspirational: an indication of what you want out of life, not necessarily where you are right now.

Of course this is just a start. We need to turn this into a positioning for your brand so that it serves as a guide for how you build your brand.