I did a workshop a few weeks ago about job interviewing. And when I talked about the importance of making sure that your interview is consistent with your personal brand, I had several blank looks from workshop participants.

What can I tell you about branding that you don’t already know? From a career coach perspective, I think it’s this — it is what’s most unique about you. I’m going to blog about this topic for a few weeks, so you can better understand “You, The Brand” and how to decipher and recognize your own personal brand.

Here’s your homework: Identify one or two strong brands that really resonate with you. For example, New Seasons (Portland’s local grocery store), Burgerville, Nike or Nordstrom. Jot down at least five attributes that you associate with each. For example, for New Seasons I’d select: Local, community involvement, organic/sustainable, quality and quirky. Now write down the brand attributes you associate with the brands you’ve selected.

Additional homework for the uber-students — a great article to read: