Final answer:
The term that best defines the reputation and talents of value to potential employers is 'Personal brand'. It encompasses the unique skills and experiences that individuals present professionally. Other forms of capital, like social and human capital, are related concepts but focus more on social networks and individual capacities respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that best defines the reputation people hold in the eyes of others and the talents as evidenced by unique and timely skills and capabilities of real value to potential employers is Personal brand. This concept involves the unique combination of skills, experience, and personality that you want the world to see. It is the telling of your story, and how it reflects your conduct, behavior, spoken and unspoken words, and attitudes.
You've probably encountered the idea of social capital in the United States being particularly prominent in elite educational institutions, as detailed in Lauren Rivera's book Pedigree. However, social capital more broadly refers to the networks and relationships that provide individuals with resources and advantages in society, and it isn't solely the reputation or skills evaluated by potential employers.
Human capital, on the other hand, involves the information, skills, knowledge, education, and health of workers. It's about how workers can be more productive and therefore of more value. But human capital places focus on the capacities internal to individuals rather than the external perception by others, which is more aligned with the personal branding aspect.
While Bourdieu's theory on different forms of capital such as cultural capital and symbolic capital touches on areas relevant to personal branding, it is the distinct image and reputation individuals craft that resonates closely with the term 'Personal brand'.
Furthermore, impression management is an essential skill related to personal branding, as it involves a strategic presentation of oneself to others, especially in professional environments. Managing your personal traits effectively contributes to your personal brand, something that can be particularly challenging for certain demographics due to biases and stereotypes.