Personal Branding and Networking

1. Develop a personal brand statement that aligns with talents and values and supports both personal and professional goals.
2. Apply storytelling strategies to stand-out in competitive employment environments and through networking interactions.
3. Create a professional development plan upon which to build upon when choosing next career and educational steps.
4. Craft social media profiles and content to align with personal branding goals and engage with target audiences effectively.

We've all heard about the importance of a personal brand, but how exactly do you build and maintain your professional brand, especially in an increasingly virtual world? Developing your personal brand is a lifelong project. However, the reality is we don’t often spend enough time planning, thinking about and growing our personal brand both internally and externally. When done well it should (1) encourage you to focus on areas you're passionate about; (2) help you grow in your career (3) serve as a guide in plotting a path to career success. This elective course focuses on your unique story and attributes (everyone has them!). Together we will explore some easy and concrete ways to build and leverage your personal brand including a brief exploration of digital channels that can be useful as well as ways to show what you are doing to your peers and future employers.

Highly applied, interactive learning with both small group and individual learning. Key deliverables will include personal brand statement development, personal materials inventory, elevator pitch development and career growth plan.