Personal branding online: a five-step guide for college students

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.