What does your name or appearance bring up in the mind of peers or even complete strangers? Every individual, including a travel nurse or travel therapist has a personal brand. Similar to a product, you can leverage a personal brand for professional opportunities.
Personal branding is the process of marketing ourselves to others. How others perceive you has incredible power and can and will affect the employment opportunities available. If one individual nurse seems to be recognized frequently for her efforts and provided with better opportunities than her peers, it may be due to the personal brand she has built in the eyes of the nursing manager. Therefore, a travel nurse or travel therapist who comes in a facility on assignment must use a personal brand to support a reputation as a hard worker who will go beyond the call of duty.
Creating a personal brand can differentiate you over others in the health institution and increase your visibility for potential professional opportunities. A travel RN can benefit from building a brand based on composure in the face of stress, while a travel therapist may benefit from a reputation as an out-of-the-box thinker who tries a variety of treatments for her patients.
The first step to building a personal brand is to determine how you want others to perceive you. It should take your values, interests, personal goals, unique traits and strengths into account. Building a personal brand on an unrealistic goal can cause more problems than not. Take time to consider the variety of factors that can affect peers and supervisors' perception of your capabilities. Everything from your appearance, to ability to perform medical tasks quickly, form the building blocks of a brand.
After setting a brand in mind, it is time to create, maintain and connect. Work professionally and personally toward fulfilling the tasks that make up your brand such as extra studying, attending professional workshops and attending lectures and even maintaining a balanced stress level. The life of a travel nurse or travel therapist is fraught with decisions, building a personal brand should be the decisive extension of your professional identity.