In the first part of this series, I talked about creating your personal brand and using that brand to market yourself to potential employers. In this part, I will be talking about social media in particular and how it can help you even further when promoting yourself and looking for a job. Social media has become more and more important in this digital age in networking, finding job postings, and connecting with potential employers. You may think that people aren't visiting your pages on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, but you are mistaken. Employers are using social media more as a tool to scope out what you're like as a person and what you enjoy.
- Blog - Last week I discussed having a portfolio or a website to show off your skills and previous work experience but having a blog in the mix can also be beneficial. The blog should be under your own name so that it can be aligned with your brand. This can be a way to show employers you can write clearly, professionally, and that you have something to say to the world. You can blog about what your passions are, your hobbies or talk about articles related to your major and interests. Posting at least once a week and using tags will ensure that your blog is being seen and being read. Those who blog will have a higher asset that those without a blog because blogs rank higher in searches and lend expertise to your name.
- LinkedIn - Having a LinkedIn profile goes without saying. This profile combines your resume, cover letter, references and a moving database of your networks all in one convenient place. This is an excellent way to promote yourself and your brand. LinkedIn is also a great tool to use for following companies and finding jobs. You can apply directly to these jobs using your profile, convenient and easy.
- Facebook - Almost everyone has a Facebook profile but often people (especially college students) don't realize how Facebook can affect their professional life. Keep your profile clean with a decent profile picture without nudity, obscene gestures or alcohol containers. Turn off the option that allows others to see tagged pictures of you if your friends have a habit of tagging you in unflattering pictures. Even if your profile is only view-able by friends, employers searching for you can still see your profile picture and cover photo. You can choose to restrict viewing on your profile or use your profile as another way to showcase your previous and current work experience and education.
- Twitter - Twitter is a great micro-blogging tool where you can post quick updates or share links that interest you. Many people choose to have two separate accounts, one for daily use and one for professional use. The daily use account can be set to private so that you restrict viewing on your profile and tweets. This is a great idea if you tend to be "expressive" in your tweets and would rather not have potential employers (and the rest of the world) see. Keep your professional twitter clean and use a profile picture that matches your LinkedIn profile to keep with your professional brand. You can also use the themes and colors available in Twitter to go along with your brand.
- Email Address - Many people underestimate the importance of having a professional email address. Using Gmail is recommended because its integration with Google+ and GTalk allows for easy communication and networking. Your email address is a great opportunity to promote your brand, professional emails usually follow the formula of 'firstname.lastname@gmail.com'. Using your tween email address of hockeyduckylover_599@hotmail.com is definitely not recommended.
- Pinterest - This social media site has grown tremendously over the last year with more and more users every day. Since this site is public everyone can see your pins and likes however, this is a great way to show your brand. You can use Pinterest as an inspiration for you blog posts and as a way to showcase what you're really interested in. Do you love Art & Photography? Pin it! Show the world that you're a well-rounded individual with ambitions, goals and passion.
What do you do next? Apply for jobs! Get your brand out there. All of these tools can help you promote yourself and your skills and help you land that job you're looking for.
Source: http://mashable.com/2009/02/05/personal-branding-101/
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