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Your personal brand is the difference between having a job and a career

Your own personal brand separates a job from a career

A study conducted earlier this year by Right Management, a subsidiary of the staffing firm Manpower Group, found that 21 percent of those polled were “somewhat unsatisfied” with their job and 44 percent said they were “unsatisfied” — that’s a lot of people unhappy at work.Michael D Brown, author of the forthcoming book “Fresh PASSION: Get a Brand or Die a Generic” (January 2013) is an established management expert and career consultant, has helped hundreds of individuals, leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, military personnel managers and college students transition into careers that they like getting up for every day — all by delving into the process of making their own fresh, competitive and powerful personal brands.“Having a successful personal brand is the difference between having a job and having a career,” says Brown. “If you allow yourself to be ‘generic,’ that is, one more average stiff with no obvious special, outstanding, and competitive qualities, you will not attract people and successful opportunities to you.”Work is surely not everything, or even the most important thing in life, Brown concedes. But if you are stuck in a professional rut, it is very difficult to lead a truly rewarding personal life.Using the “Fresh PASSION” methodology, Brown helps readers avoid the pitfalls of a generic career and obtain the benefits that come from being a branded entity with these seven steps:— Preparing yourself: continuing your education through classes, professional development, and maintaining an active intellectual interest and knowledge capital in your career and life.— Aspiring to reach your goals: having particular ambitions and then setting out to achieve your goals — aim at nothing and you are guaranteed to hit it!— Staying laser-focused: intently focusing on each area of Fresh PASSION, otherwise you’ll miss the mark and not deliver your brand.— Selling your value: understanding your return on investment, having confidence in your fullest potential, and constantly searching for new opportunities that will help you meet, or even succeed, that potential.— Invigorating yourself: having the tenacity and discipline to go the distance and secure your personal and professional success — fan the flame within and catch on fire!— Omitting the negative: learning from the inevitable negative experiences you will encounter without dwelling on them or letting them consume the valuable real estate in your head — you have so much more ahead of you!— Nailing the brand: successfully packaging your substance (your core) up and putting a bow on it so that you become a fresh brand that can successfully compete and WIN internally and externally, which will enable you to achieve exponential personal and professional success.