Be a Person, Not a Job Description

Beware of strange men selling personal brands! Lots of vendors want to help you "build a personal brand," but unless you have money to burn, chasing a personal brand could really hurt.

For one thing, most who go down this path confuse their job for their brand. Tax accountants want to be known as the "go-to tax accountant." Retail customer experience advisors want to be known as the "smartest customer experience consultant in the world". And so it goes.

Here's the truth: many of the professionals most in demand have never spent ten minutes mulling over the words "personal brand". These people are - pure and simple - authentically focused on helping others.

Go to a networking event, and 85% of the people there are trying to sell you whatever they came there to sell. The other 15% are fascinated by certain problems and opportunities. Their ears perk up when they hear about a fresh challenge. They are genuinely curious and excited.

These people don't sell, they serve. They are constantly in demand because - you guessed it - they serve, and they do it brilliantly.

If you want to be constantly in demand, you might want to take some of that energy you might otherwise invest in a "personal brand" and instead focus on the intersection of what you love to do and what you are very good at doing.

Spend as much time as possible within this space (what you love and what you're good at). Engage others in conversation, both in person and via social media. Ask questions, and listen carefully to their answers.

Instead of "branding" yourself, BE the person you want others to see. A brand is not something you write on your wall or at the top of your web site. It is the sum total of everything you do, say, and even think.

Above all else, remember this: your brand is not your current job. In five years, most people will have a new job. You can't swap your "brand" every time your job changes.

Just be yourself. Not the self who thinks you are your job. Be the self who is a person, not a job description.