How to establish your personal brand in college

From a personal perspective, what your individual brand portrays is a crucial part of how you are perceived. It can make or break you.

Many people think branding is something that should be done when starting a career, but I think college is the perfect time to start.

How can college students brand themselves before entering the workforce?

Create a website

This is one of the most important things you can do for your career. A professional website, done right, can be an extension of your résumé. A résumé is only one page, but a website has no limitations.

Tip: There are many website services’ I recommend Wix. It’s an easy-to-use platform that enables you to create eye-catching flash websites. Don’t forget to purchase a domain name that also represents your brand.

Get professional pictures taken

Have you ever seen a LinkedIn profile with an iPhone photo as the avatar? Yup, it’s a typical college thing to do. I’ve heard from employers that it’s better to have no picture at all than to have a lousy one on any networking site.

Tip: Professional pictures have so many uses. Put them on your website, business cards, and (in the future) on your company’s employee profile.

Invest in memorable business cards