'Personal branding' can fast-track your career

WHAT'S the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “personal branding”? Does it make your mind brim with possibility - or make you roll your eyes?

- VINISHA RATHOD

We've been conditioned to think of personal branding as the domain of influencers, LinkedIn gurus or people who refer to themselves in the third person. But what if your personal brand isn’t an online gimmick? What if it’s something deeper - an insight into what makes you valuable and engaging?

Positive association

Brands, especially personal ones, are built on trust and positive association. Think about celebrities. Since the dawn of marketing, companies have used them to sell products. Whether its athletes launching shoe lines or musicians turning into moguls, it's not the endorsement itself that holds power - it’s the intangible trust they’ve cultivated over time.

When done well, a personal brand transcends your current role or business. It shapes how people describe you when you're not in the room. It opens doors you didn’t know existed. It creates compounding returns in credibility, connections and opportunities. And in today’s Al-driven age where digital presence speaks before you do, it’s important to get it right.