Dr. Mukul Mishra | Associate Professor, JIMS Kalkaji
Earning a PGDM diploma is an important part of a student’s career journey. It provides an understanding of business, management and the corporate environment. However, every year, thousands of students complete management programmes and enter the job market with similar qualifications. Many have good academic records, internships and professional certifications. In such a situation, what makes one candidate different from another is the way a person presents their knowledge, skills, interests and overall personality. This is where personal branding becomes important.
Personal branding is about the impression you create as a professional. It reflects your strengths, interests, knowledge, behaviour, communication skills and the way you interact with people. It is about helping others understand what you are good at and what you can bring to an organisation. For PGDM students, this process should begin while they are still in business school.
One of the easiest ways to start building a professional identity is through LinkedIn. Students should ensure that their profiles reflect their academic background, internships, projects, certifications and areas of interest. Many students create a LinkedIn account only when they start applying for jobs. This is a missed opportunity. The platform can be used much earlier to follow companies, understand industry developments, connect with alumni and interact with professionals.
Students should also try to build an identity around their area of specialisation. A marketing student, for example, can follow new advertising campaigns, study how brands attract customers or write about changing buying habits. A finance student can take an interest in stock market developments, company performance and investment trends. Those interested in human resource management can explore topics such as employee motivation, workplace culture, recruitment and talent retention. International business students can follow developments in global trade, international markets and changing business relationships. These activities do not require extensive research or specialised knowledge. What matters is developing an interest in the subject and learning to express one’s views clearly.
Communication skills are equally important. During campus placements, students are often asked questions about their projects, internships, interests and opinions on current business issues. A student may have good subject knowledge but may find it difficult to explain ideas confidently. Regular participation in group discussions, presentations, seminars and classroom activities can help overcome this difficulty. Students should make an effort to speak, ask questions and share their opinions rather than remain passive participants.
Networking is another aspect that students sometimes ignore. There is a lot to learn from people who are already working in the corporate world. Interacting with alumni, attending guest lectures and connecting with industry professionals can provide useful insights into different career options and job expectations. Even a simple conversation with a professional can help a student understand what a particular role involves and which skills are required. These connections may also prove useful when exploring internships and employment opportunities.
Students must also remember that their online behaviour is part of their professional identity. Recruiters and employers may look at public social media profiles before forming an opinion about a candidate. The kind of content shared, comments made and manner of interaction can leave an impression. Students should simply be mindful of what they post and how they communicate online.
Personal branding should not become a competition to collect followers, likes or online connections. Having a large number of LinkedIn contacts does not necessarily make someone a better professional. What matters is whether a student has something meaningful to share and whether the professional image created online matches their actual abilities. It is always better to have a simple and genuine profile supported by real achievements than an impressive-looking profile with little substance.
A PGDM programme offers several opportunities to learn, experiment and discover individual strengths. Students should make the best use of these experiences and learn to communicate what they have gained from them.
The job market is competitive, and students cannot always control the number of opportunities available. What they can control is how well they prepare themselves and how they present their capabilities. A PGDM diploma is an important qualification, but the way students use their knowledge, communicate their ideas and conduct themselves professionally will also shape their careers. Building a professional identity should therefore be part of the learning experience on campus, not something left until the final placement season.
