In the digital world we live in, we all have a personal brand. Through social media profiles and other online information, it’s fairly easy to learn almost anything about an individual.
Many companies use online information to help make hiring decisions. So having a strong personal brand could make or break your chances at getting a position with a great company. Because of this, it’s important to cultivate your online presence and monitor it closely.
Here are 4 tips for creating a strong personal brand.
1. Be genuine.
It’s much easier to maintain a strong personal brand if it’s true to who you are and what you stand for. Avoid making up a persona just to look good to potential employers. Many employers will be able to spot this dishonesty, and seeming untrustworthy can severely limit the positive effects of a strong personal brand.
2. Write a brand statement.
Most companies and organizations have some sort of mission statement that lays out their main goals and focuses. When building your personal brand, having a brand statement is essentially the same thing. Write a personal brand statement that includes your strengths, your goals in life and your core values.
3. Consider creating your own website.
Domain names are cheap, and having your own website gives potential employers easy access to you and your brand. With a website, you have a one-stop portal for your portfolio, résumé, past achievements, personal brand statement and goals. Ideally, your site should also have links to other appropriate forms of social media that also speak to your brand. But here’s a note on that: if your social media profiles are geared toward friends and family, then making them private and setting up professional accounts for yourself might be a good idea.
4. Sharing is caring.
When you work in a specialized field of any kind, you will have knowledge that others in your field may benefit from knowing. Once you make the website in Step 3, you’ll have access to a platform for easily sharing your knowledge. Make videos, write blog posts and find innovative ways to get your knowledge out into the world. This could give you exposure amongst others in your field, and positive word of mouth is a surefire way to further strengthen your personal brand.
By following these four steps, you can begin to create a personal brand that represents who you are and what you want to accomplish. This could help you during the job search and even afterwards — because you never know where you career can take you.