Branding, Social Media and You
You see a job, you apply, the recruiter sees your resume and thinks you may be the ideal candidate. What do you think is the next step? GOOGLE! That’s right, your name, email address and/or even your street address is put into that nifty
Google search bar to see what you’re all about. Long gone are the days when a recruiter would pick your resume out from a pile and select you for an interview based off of what they have seen. Why would a recruiter do this you may ask? The answer is simple. Search engines have become a necessary tool in helping employers eliminate potential candidates who may not fit into the culture of their company. Your social media presence may expose some unfavorable things about you which may affect how employers view you. Instead of being an asset to a company, you may be seen as a liability.
Think about it for a moment…what will an employer find out about you? Will they see pictures of you drinking and partying with your friends? Will they see a discriminatory Facebook posts that offends people? Will they see a random, tasteless Tweets about how you hated your last job? Will they see that you liked inappropriate content on Instagram? What image would you like to portray?
Personal and Professional Branding has never been more important than it is today. Social Media and Branding are tied hand in hand and there is no way around it. In today’s economy, it is a must that you market yourself by defining who you are and what you have to offer in order to be respected and obtain gainful employment.
CLEANING UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
In this politically correct society, it is essential that we become sensitive and mindful of issues that may offend others. I’m pretty sure that we are all guilty of breaking a social media blunder or two. However, you can save yourself from a career suicide and feel more comfortable going for that promotion, career change or new job if you cleaned up your social media accounts. Don’t let Social Media ruin your reputation. The three following suggestions, have somewhat of a “facelift” effect on reviving your brand and saving your career. Try it out…
Make your page private – If you have a small group of family and friends who you can trust and feel like your posts/pictures aren’t distasteful or insulting to anyone, then leave it and make your page private but going forward, be on your best behavior and be sensible with your future posts.
Delete your previous posts/pictures – It’s simply not worth it to keep old, offensive, risky posts or pictures. It’s a small world! You never know who on your friends list can be sharing your picture just for the fun of it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Turn off social media – Of course, this is the most extreme! However, if you feel like you can’t control yourself or at risk of losing an amazing opportunity, this is your best bet.
After you have cleaned up your social media, then you should feel more confident in building or rebuilding your brand. Think of yourself as an artist with a blank canvas...what would you like the world to know about you?
BUILDING/REBUILDING YOUR BRAND
How do you effectively market yourself and your talents? Start with answering the questions below HONESTLY! Remember, if you lie, it will show in your work performance and your end product so it’s best to be as truthful as possible.
Who Am I?
What is my passion?
What makes me unique
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
What adjectives have been used to describe me?
What can I offer an employer?
What problems can I solve or have solved?
What are/were some of my achievements?
What projects have I completed?
Once you have answered these questions, create a paragraph or two elaborating on these answers which will define your character, expertise and techniques. Every skill that you have is worth mentioning whether it is industry specific, technical or tangible. Be proud to define who you are because someone out there is looking for you.
OWN IT!
