Consider your favorite brands. What differentiates them? Perhaps it’s the value they add to your life, the emotions they evoke, or that their mission aligns with your beliefs. Now, reflect on your most vital brand: yourself. Is it as strong?
Research shows employers consider personal branding vital when evaluating job candidates, with 95 percent saying a personal statement or elevator pitch is important and 90 percent stating applicants’ social media profiles influence their decision.
To help you stand out in a competitive job market, Harvard Business School Online is announcing a new certificate course: Personal Branding. This three-week program will equip you with the tools to define and express your purpose, values, and points of differentiation. You’ll explore what a successful personal brand is and how to leverage yours effectively to advance your career and influence others to lead authentically.
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“Every time you interview for a job, vie for a promotion, or meet someone new, you’re marketing yourself,” says HBS Online Senior Managing Director Simeen Mohsen. “We’re excited to offer Personal Branding to prepare learners for those situations and empower them to leverage and communicate their values and uniqueness to advance their careers.”
Personal Branding is taught by Dr. Jill Avery, a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration and C. Roland Christensen Distinguished Management Educator at Harvard Business School, who’s managed and studied brands for over 30 years. Throughout the course, she’ll share her expertise alongside other personal branding experts representing a diverse range of industries. You’ll immerse yourself in real-world examples from a professional matchmaker and dating coach, content creator and influencer, the CEO of a global communications firm, a factory manager, and a LinkedIn creator manager.
Related: Get a sneak peek from Avery by listening to her discuss how to build a winning brand portfolio on The Parlor Room podcast or watch the episode on YouTube.
The course features interactive, practical visioning exercises to help you understand your purpose, which you’ll workshop with a global community of peers—enabling you to build your network alongside your personal brand. You’ll also leave with a Personal Branding Media Kit, a portfolio of materials that will help you connect and share a story that’s compelling, memorable, intriguing, and uniquely you.
In Personal Branding, you’ll learn how to:
- Identify the sources, benefits, and components of a successful personal brand
- Define your purpose and values and communicate their distinction to others
- Turn common personal branding pitfalls into opportunities
- Harness the psychological power of interpersonal influence
- Develop an action plan for leveraging your influence to empower yourself and others to lead authentically
Personal Branding is part of HBS Online’s Marketing Learning Track. Participants who take three marketing courses within 18 months can earn an advanced Certificate of Specialization.
Are you ready to enhance your personal brand? Enrollment is now open through September 18, 2025. The program will begin on September 24, 2025. For more information, visit our Personal Branding page.
