The world today is a marketplace, with many industries and booming career options. The jobs scenario is bustling with people who are well educated, smart, presentable and ambitious and of course equipped with that killer attitude. Everyone wants to be someone; is willing to go that extra mile and take that one extra step in order to race ahead. Keeping up with the current trends, updating oneself with the latest product knowledge and projecting oneself in the right angle have become critical in the road to success.

In such a world, where cutthroat competition rules and where no one is willing to step aside to let the other take over, how does one market oneself to differentiate our image from the rest? How does one go about creating a special ‘personal brand’ that will give oneself an edge, an exclusive lead above the rest?

In advertising terms, branding is the "image" created in the minds of people when they see or hear a name, product or logo. Your personal brand is your very own; it defines you, your abilities and your persona.

In other words, personal branding is about developing an image of yourself that you want to project in everything you do. It's not about being fake or superficial. If you are not authentic in what you do, that will come across clearly.

Each time you step outside the house, you are subconsciously marketing yourself. The clothes you wear, the postures that you adopt, the tone of voice you use are all factors that determine your inner personality.

Technically speaking, marketing may be defined as the process of planning and executing the design, pricing, promotion and distribution of goods and services. In the current context, when we speak about a ‘personal brand’ – the product we are dealing with is ‘you’; as an individual, a human being. All of us have an inner value attached to us, a price, that is determined by various factors such as personality, education, presentation and attitude.

A combination of these factors, coupled with appropriate packaging and promotion; is what creates a ‘personal brand’.

The key to successfully branding yourself and doing it effectively is to first establish a personal brand identity. Once you are done with that, focus that message on who you are and what you stand for within your chosen field. Your aim is to get the word out in the jobs arena that you have arrived and would like to take them on.

Begin by identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from your competitors -- or your colleagues. What have you done recently: this week, to make yourself stand out? What would your colleagues or your customers say is your greatest and clearest strength? Or otherwise, your most noteworthy personal trait?

You have to assess yourself. If you are not enthusiastic about yourself, your capabilities and your personalities; there is little chance that you are going to generate any interest in the eyes of the outside world. You have to think of yourself as strong, as an incredible person with noteworthy skills. You have to bring your strengths out in the open and learn to underplay your weaknesses; in such a way that you emerge the best.

Technically, a regular marketing mix is a strategic balance of the four P’s: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. These four elements are fundamental to any marketing plan. [George and Jones 56]

Let’s now see how you could use it to market your ‘Personal Brand’.

1.The Product, in this context, is the individual, i.e. You. It is the core of the mix, and it is specifically what is being sold or marketed.

2.The Price, is the amount charged for the product. Here, it refers the value attached to the product, because as individuals, we are not exactly selling ourselves in the process.

3.The Place, is the physical arena in which the product has to be marketed. This involves doing a bit of market research and selecting specific sectors where the product could be viable. For example, when you are job-hunting, ‘place’ refers to the specific career, the relevant companies that you choose to target. It refers to those firms that you send your resumes to, after careful research, with the hope that you will jumpstart your career with them.

4.Promotion, is a form of communication that informs, persuades and reminds potential buyers that a product/service is available, with the hope of influencing opinions or generating responses.

Once you have determined your value in the market and chosen where you would like to market yourself, the next step is building a strategic plan to promote yourself accordingly. It is extremely essential that you present yourself in a manner that optimally showcases your abilities, talents and qualifications and shows you as a winner.

A good dish is one in which the ingredients come together in just the right way: not too much or too little of one or the other. In a similar manner, the trick to promoting and marketing your personal brand is a sprinkling of all four of these elements, carefully balanced together.

The real action is at the other end: looking to have the best season you can imagine in your field, looking to do your best work and chalk up a remarkable track record. If your answer wouldn't light up the eyes of a prospective client or command a vote of confidence from a satisfied past client, or, worst of all if it doesn't grab you, then you've got a big problem.