Creating a Personal Brand

There are two types of job seekers, active and passive. Active job seekers are looking for a job now due to circumstances such as unemployment, potential layoffs or dissatisfaction with current employment. Passive job seekers are currently employed and otherwise content with their job,but would consider other opportunities if they met their career objectives. Employers always prefer the passive job seeker even though they are harder to find.

It is easier to find a job through your own professional network. You can develop this network through the use of personal branding. Creating a personal brand enables you to advertise your skills and experience so employers can reach out to you. Job seekers who are easy to find and match employers’ needs have an advantage in getting hired.

Personal branding is a relatively new concept that has emerged through the popularity of social media. The term “personal branding” comes out of a need for working professionals to establish themselves within their field of expertise as an expert. Personal branding requires a combination of strategies that include using the following sites: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and your own blog. Using a combination of these social sites enables you to grow your own personal network and brand.

Keep a consistent and simple theme throughout your network of sites. Your theme should reflect whatever interests you, and how you can be a valuable resource for a perspective employer. Use social media sites as an opportunity to showcase examples of your work, how you overcome challenges and  your ability to be creative. Tie the network of sites together with links so that your profiles are easier to find online.  Soon you will have a regular readership, and more importantly, a key advantage over other job seekers. There’s nothing more appealing to an employer than to see a candidate who is regarded by others as a source of information within a particular industry.

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts:

DO

1. set your profile to private for people that are not your friends
2. ensure anything you post is appropriate for a recruiter to read
3. make sure your photos and videos are appropriate
4. link your social media profiles so that your updates broadcast to each site automatically
5. post content that will be of value to your followers
6. keep your employment and skills information current

DON’T

1. post negative updates unless you provide a good story on how you solved a problem
2. inundate your followers with updates from games and applications (games, quizzes, forwards, etc.)
3. bash your former or current employer or co-workers
4. disclose potentially sensitive information on your public profiles