So you got the Dream Job. What next?

As a professional, you probably have some idea of what your dream job looks like. It would involve enjoying what you do every day, such that it doesn’t feel like work, and making a lot of money while you’re at it. It would involve being constantly inspired to do and be better and making a difference in the world.

The thing is the dream could change.

We are constantly evolving, being shaped by our exposure and our experiences. What looked fantastic and full of possibilities at the start of our career soon loses its shine and becomes relegated to the dreaded “comfort zone”.

The job that ticked all the boxes begins to pall. It stops being enough and you start to ask yourself, “what next?”

This is when your personal brand comes to the rescue.

Your career is more than a job. It’s the sum of every contribution you make to the world, a collection of your individual accomplishments that can be assessed, applauded, and recognized. It transcends a job, an organization, or an industry.

So, to make an impact, use your talents, and support your life purpose, your personal brand becomes an important career development initiative.

Yet many professionals feel they just don't have the time or energy to build their personal brand. Ironically, they believe that they’re just too busy working!

However, when the sun goes down, the clock strikes 5, and you shut down your computer, there has got to be more to go home to than finishing up the work you left undone at the office.

William Arruda, founder of Career Blast and a Forbes contributor, presents nine powerful results of uncovering, exuding, and nurturing the brand called YOU:

1. You become famous—perhaps selectively, but that’s okay.

The personal branding angle on fame is that you’ll be famous among the people who need to know you but may live in total obscurity in the rest of the world. Your aim should be to build a fan club of people who support you and who share your goals and values. The strongest brands turn those fans into promoters who sing your value to others.

2. You minimize imposter syndrome.

Personal branding is about uncovering your unique, genuine brand and living it proudly. It’s about authenticity and being your Best Self. When you’re willing to be yourself and live your brand fully, you avoid feeling like you are faking it, and you find true satisfaction in delivering your best work.

3. You attract opportunities.

When you are clear about your brand promise and you commit to sharing it with the people who need to know you, your brand starts to take on a life of its own. People start to know who you are, and you have no idea how they know you. You become magnetic, attracting the people and opportunities you need to be able to achieve your goals. Your expertise is no longer limited to your organization. Demonstrating your expertise online, for example, expands your influence, and your network, and challenges you to get better at what you do. When you are recognized by others, it elevates your value within your organization.

4. You increase your energy

Anne Morrow Lindbergh famously said, “The most exhausting thing you can do is to be inauthentic.” It’s truly tiring to play a role every day. The power of personal branding is that you’re never playing a role. Instead, you’re delivering on your brand promise in a way that’s unique to you…and that constantly energizes you.

5. You find Joy in it

Personal branding means aligning who you are with what you do and how you do it. It’s about connecting your passions to your work while remaining steadfastly focused on your purpose—your “why,” as Simon Sinek calls it. When your work allows you to express your passions and have an impact, work goes from boring to blissful.

6. You grow your wealth

We pay more for strong brands. An iPhone can set you back a thousand dollars—more than most competing smartphones. We pay a premium for strong brands because we are getting more than the product, we’re getting an experience.

The same is true for people. If everyone with the same job title were paid exactly the same amount, there would be no incentive to stand out and deliver greater value. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Strong brands earn more for the value they add beyond meeting the minimum eligibility requirements.

7. You take control of your career

Strong brands don’t take what comes to them, they pursue what makes sense for them. They have leverage in negotiations with their boss. They have a say in how work is done. They’re influential, and they’re the keepers of their careers.

8. You achieve your goals

Although effective personal branding is based on authenticity, there’s an aspirational element. Your personal brand is aligned with and directed by your goals. Focusing your branding actions and effort toward your goals is one of the key elements of personal branding.

9. You increase your confidence

Perhaps the biggest byproduct of building your personal brand is confidence. The self-awareness you gain from going through the personal branding process translates into self-assuredness. And as your brand begins to pay dividends—opportunities, acknowledgment, accolades—you become more and more comfortable in your own shoes. That’s the best kind of wealth there is.

And that dream never changes!

 For more career lessons shared in a fun, quirky, and compelling way, you can visit my blog at toyintalkstalent.wordpress.com.

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