Guest blogger, Kevin Kaiser
Kevin Kaiser is a student at the UMKC School of Dentistry. Feel free to check out his own personal website here or visit him on Google+.
Did you know that, immediately after receiving applications, employers
frequently search names online as a thinning-out method? This means you might
have to rely solely on how you come across to someone online if you want to get
a job. If hiring managers don’t like what they see, your application could
go right into the trash. Therefore, you need to
establish a strong personal brand online to make up
the difference.
In its simplest form, online branding is nothing more than presenting
yourself in a way you'd like others to view you. Branding is just as important
for you as an individual as it is for the company you might work for. As the
director of marketing for an
online bond company, I've
learned firsthand the importance of online branding for businesses. It's a
long, arduous process that takes time, effort and special consideration of what
companies' end goals are. These are all lessons that that should be applied to
personal branding as well — especially when you're in the market for a job.
Many influential people that you hope to build relationships with in the
next few years have fluent online searching skills, so you need to control what
they find. As such, this article will outline five key steps to establishing
your personal brand online.
Step 1:
Google yourself.
If you see your name in a bunch of old, random or unrelated mentions, you
aren't in control of your online personal branding. What you want people to see
are your accomplishments, work experience and personality. Think of it like an
elevator pitch, but online. You have about 30 seconds to make your impression,
so you want to get the “Look at me, I’m great!” information across quickly and
effectively. The concept is easy enough, but how do you actually get the
information to be immediately available to whoever is searching for you?
Step 2: Set up a
personal Web site and/or blog.
Maintaining
your own Web site is hands down the best way to control your image
online because you're promoting yourself. Register your own domain name if
possible, as this will ensure your site pops up as the first search result for
your name. You can even use free tools such as
WordPress or
Blogger to
set up a site. Then, share your accomplishments, thoughts, ideas, interests and
experiences so others can quickly see what you're all about. You can also direct
people to your site when applying for internships and jobs.
Step 3:
Launch/improve your Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ profiles.
Twitter is a great way to build your reputation because you can reach out to
anyone who has an account. The great thing about Twitter is that you only get
140 characters. In this age people are more likely to read shorter, more
succinct posts, so use this to your advantage by communicating with as many
influential people as possible — just remember to be genuine.
A lot of companies use LinkedIn and Google+ to promote themselves while also
building relationships with clients and colleagues. Even if you're still a
student, hopping on the LinkedIn and Google+ bandwagons is a good idea because
both are great for networking with professionals. You never know where the next
opportunity will come from.
Step 4: Join
reputable organizations that promote what you are about.
Joining local and national groups shows that you're dedicated to what you do
and want to improve the industry as a whole. It also allows you to meet others
who have similar interests, which could really pay off in the future. Building
personal relationships based on shared interests is far more effective than
forcing professional relationships just to promote your career goals. You
could organize informal lunches with classmates within your major, attend
university-sanctioned events or travel to national conferences. Of course
always take the time to interact with these groups online via Facebook, Twitter
and the organization's official Web site. Name recognition is key.
Step 5: Be
yourself.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid you show your true personality as best
you can online Potential employers look to see if your personality will
mesh with their companies, so don't misrepresent yourself just so you can
portray a certain image online.
With many professional interactions occurring online these days, you don't
always have the opportunity to make a first impression face-to-face. You must
use your online personal branding skills to show the online community what
you're all about.
