Kraft. Nike. Apple. Disney. These timeless brands have made a name for themselves; not just within their industry but in popular culture. Nowadays, though, a brand doesn’t just apply to a product or company; it applies to people.
In today’s job search, it’s more about your personal branding than it is about your previous work experience. While your professional and academic experiences boost your image during your job search, your personal brand is more about how you engage with the industry and community in which you are interested.
And personal branding can best be achieved through the use of social media, as reflected in this infographic presented by hiredmyway.com (full size below).
So how can you begin to establish a personal brand to help your social media job search?
1. Create social media profiles. If you just have one social media account, it’s not enough. You need accounts everywhere — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Believe it or not, when your resume comes up in a job search, you will be searched for online, and you will be judged on your social media presence.
2. Talk up your professional interests. Yes, Facebook and Instagram are just for fun, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a factor in your job search. Use these social media platforms to showcase your personality but keep it professional — i.e. delete photos of your rambunctious college days and censor inappropriate posts or tags from friends. Use Twitter to engage in dialogue with other professionals in your industry. And depend on sites like Spark Hire and LinkedIn for conducting your job search, posting your resume and participating in job interviews.
3. Know your Klout. As you grow in your personal branding and engagement on social media, track your progress. Klout is a great resource for monitoring whether or not your social media presence is creating a big splash or a tiny drip. Simply add your social media networks to your Klout account, actively engage on those accounts and watch your Klout score grow. Klout will tell you if you’re getting the professional attention you want, and if the results aren’t what you intend, that just means you need to be doing more on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not social media savvy; your personal brand won’t develop overnight. This type of influencer in today’s job search takes time, practice and experience. But by continuing to utilize social media platforms in your professional pursuits, you’ll be a pro in no time. And who knows — your next job could be building a social media presence for your employer.
How are you working to develop your personal branding through social media? Tell us now in our comments!
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