Photo by Nicolas Nova (edited) – CC
A brand is anything (a symbol, name or even a color) that separates and distinguishes something from the rest. Although the term has been used for companies and products, we must be aware that all of us have our own set of characteristics that differentiate us from the rest. We have our own personal brand online.
Now, having a personal brand is a huge responsibility that comes directly tied to our reputation. Think of it as your online birthmark. It allows recruiting managers or possible business partners to recognize you and choose you on a lineup!
Everything you do when navigating online leaves a digital footprint that could affect your online reputation and trust me, any recruiting manager will track down those footprints. It takes a simple Google search to conduct a lineup these days and from there, they will be able to gather information on your social profiles, your website or blog and even any embarrassing story that someone posted with your name attached to it.
Needless to say, if you’re looking for a job, you need to have an “adequate” online presence. In other words, you should create and manage your own personal brand, making it “jobsearch-friendly”.
How do you do that? Don’t worry, I gathered some rules you should follow. Check them out!
1- Be consistent
Keep the same voice and the same message in all your online channels. If you’re looking for a job, it’s best to show the skills and personality you wish your future employer to notice.
2- Be yourself but be careful
We all like to have fun and your social profiles can sometimes show that too much. My advice to comply with this rule is that you keep a “business in front, party in the back” approach (and no, I don’t mean a mullet!). Here’s an example, you may be a social butterfly and that’s alright, but you don’t want to portray a life of excess on your profiles when you’re trying to look professional. So, it may be time for a cleanup.
3- On the social networks, keep private everything that should be private
If you still want to keep some really fun but not necessarily “work appropriate” content on your social media only for your friends to see, make sure you keep those sealed! Here’s a good article by CIO including 10 Facebook Privacy Tricks.
4- Create a personal website or a blog
Having personal website is a great way to gather together all the information about your professional skills, experience and goals. In a previous post, we listed more than 30 WordPress resumé themes that can help you to create an awesome website or landing page.
5- Show off what you can do!
Make sure you have examples of your work readily available and visible to the public in order to allow recruiters to find just what you need them to find about you. If you are a developer, show off your personal works on GitHub. If you are a designer, you need to create an online portfolio and keep it up-to-date. And if you work in online marketing, a personal blog and social media are great tools to show off your talent.
6- Network, network, network
LinkedIn is a great place to gain exposure and do some networking with your colleagues. Join and become active on groups related to your speciality or interest, that’s a great way to meet people and get noticed. You can also find several interesting groups on Google+ and Twitter works great too.
7- Join the conversation!
Hiring managers also look for what the thought leaders in the sector they’re hiring in are saying. Don’t miss the conversation, instead, listen very closely, give your opinion and share valuable content. Check keywords on Topsy and follow influencers and executives
8- Go to job fairs and meetups
The best way to connect with others with similar interests and test the waters a bit. Find out which events are happening near you and go!
Any rules I should include here? Send them my way! Let us know what worked out for you.