In today’s world of social media and instant access to information via the internet, everyone has a brand. The only decision is whether you will take control of your brand to develop and enrich it or allow others to define your brand for you.
As you begin a job search, your focus is on resumes and cover letters – writing and refining those documents takes a lot of time and effort. The resume and cover letter are two of the best ways to help you define your brand. These job-search documents highlight your accomplishments and emphasize what you can bring to prospective employers. But don’t forget the other aspects of branding!
Check your online presence!
- Explore every mention of yourself on the internet to gain a concrete understanding of your current brand. It may be a brand that you have not crafted, but you already have an online brand if you have social media accounts or a LinkedIn account.
- Depending on your goals, you may wish to create a personal website to provide content. A personal website linked to your name will help you discover where search engines rank your name in a general search.
Create meaningful content!
- Since you now have a personal website, create a short biography for yourself, explaining your education, experience, and goals.
- Use the website to link to other meaningful content such as your LinkedIn profile, articles, or press releases. Create a personal mission statement.
- Post only information, articles, and content that is in line with your personal brand. Having identified your brand, it must be robust and consistent.
In the next blog post, I will discuss using your brand in a strategic job search.