How to Build Your Personal Brand – Personal Branding through the Eyes of the New York Times

3 years ago by Trace Cohen 5

I found this article yesterday and I had to share it with everyone!

It’s by Alina Tugend, a writer for the NYT’s who is “a journalist rather than a salesperson.” Her outlook on personal branding as you can tell from the beginning is something that is unnecessary and just a bunch of “hyperbole” to say the least.

As you continue though, you will see that while she doesnt fully grasp the concept of personal branding, she comes to the realization that you will have to live side by side with it if anything. A few times she mentions her age, but personal branding doesnt discriminate, as everyone is always searching for jobs or wants to be a thought leader or be the go to guy for something.

I recommend that you read the article and really give personal branding another thought if you’re on the fence about it.

Also check out this article about managing your online repuation if you want some further reading.

Trace Cohen
Author: Trace Cohen

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About Trace Cohen

I am currently a senior at Syracuse University double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Marketing at the Whitman School of Management with a minor in Information Service Techology (IST) in the iSchool. I chose Syracuse for their business school which was brand new and state of the art when i applied and enrolled. The undergraduate entrepreneurship program in Whitman is ranked #2 nationally and the ischool is ranked #1 nationally which is something I am very proud to be apart of.
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  • Candice

    I agree with Ms. Tugend a little. I read her article and like her, I feel I’m just an ordinary person who does an ordinary job. I became a writer because it’s a “behind the scenes” kind of profession. I do realize that there are certain professions where self-promotion is necessary, but I don’t think I need to promote my personal brand any more now than I did when I worked as an administrative assistant. In fact, I like working in support positions because they are somewhat shrouded in obscurity.

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  • Danielle

    To be honest, I am a bit on the fence in terms of the branding notion. However, as Alina noted in her article, I don’t believe that if you are going to start somewhere along the lines of building a “name” for yourself, that it should be done using a social networking site like twitter or facebook. Don’t get me wrong, I am a member of facebook myself, but I am also not looking for a job or a professional brand at this time. Considering that these sites are fueled mostly by people who have not much better to do with their time or are purposely looking to waste time at the job they currently have, posting/viewing pictures of themselves partying, or blogging about what they ate for dinner yesterday is “normal” in today’s day and age. I just think it is foolish to advise someone that is looking for a professional edge over their competition to spend time marketing themselves using a social site, especially if it’s content is going to include any of the afore mentioned items. After all, most prospective employers do not want to see the funnel you did at your cousin’s wedding last summer, and they certainly don’t want to know that this kind of site is where you spend most of your time (unless you’re a party promoter, or a journalist…).

  • http://Brand-Yourself.com Trace Cohen

    @Candice
    Thats a good point you bring up. Personal branding isnt for everyone, as certain jobs and industries dont call for someone to promote themselves. And of course everyone has there own reasons for doing it, just like you do.

    @Danielle
    I couldnt agree more with you that there are certain people out there who just promote themselves because they can. Fortunately there are other people out there, regardless of whether they believe in personal branding or not, who use these social sites to better themselves and make connections. Most social sites likes Facebook and Myspace have negative connotations associated with them from frequent misuse by some users, but there has been a lot of good that has come from them as well. It all comes down to your intentions and what you want to get out of it.

    Trace Cohen
    CMO, Brand-Yourself.com