Employers today like to do a Google search on their prospective employees, just to see if there’s any interesting information about them available on the internet. If you haven’t created a presence for yourself on the internet, you’re doing your career a big disservice. Gone are the days when you could depend only on Monster and Careerbuilder to help you snag a good job. Today’s employers are savvier and expect much more from their future employees.
What are you doing to make yourself known today? And what, more specifically, is a career brand? The dynamics in the career world today lean towards those who have a presence on the internet. A presence that demonstrates what they are capable of performing and something which shows what they have already achieved. In this aspect, Monster and Careerbuilder are so yesterday. They don’t let you showcase your talent in any way that demarcates you from the others.
There are a few ways in which you can develop your own career brand and become easily accessible to prospective employers. To create an effective online career brand, you have to create a memorable online presence. Some of the steps are outlined below:
• Social networking – This is the big daddy of online brand creators. Make the best use of your account in Twitter or Facebooks, using them as stepping stones in creating lasting relationships with people. Use your own name instead of a cutesy handle that might put some employers off. And don’t put up pictures of wild and drunken parties. Give employers the information that they are looking for when they come looking for you. Give them links to your work, your website or your blog so they can connect the dots and see the big picture.
• Website – Everyone has a website today. Make sure yours speaks about what you do professionally. If you’re a writer or photographer, then a website is the perfect place to showcase your skills. Even if you’re not, having a website of your own is impressive, particularly if you use it to link up with important information about your skills and qualities. Remember, your website is to help employers get a better picture about you, so avoid putting too much personal matter in it.
• LinkedIn – Everybody is on Linked In. If you are not, then you better be. Linked In is one of the most viable networking concepts used by business people the world over. It’s smart, professional and lets employers understand what they’re looking for and whether you have it in you. Linked In serves a dual purpose. It’s the place where you can house your resume as well as create an effective online career brand.
• Blog – If you can write decently about your subject matter, then set up a blog for it and start writing articles regularly. Having a blog on your subject shows employers that you are passionate about your work, you are constantly growing and you like to express yourself through your blog. Read the blogs of others who have been around from a long time and link their blogs to yours.
These are just some of the ways in which you can create an online career brand. Give it some thought and you might just be able to come up with some more ideas as well because the internet and technology is expanding all the time.
