Testing...Testing Is Your Career Brand Working?

Over the past 18 months I have been cultivating relationships online on Facebook with friends I had lost touch with since high school and this weekend we had a reunion. Usually when you attend these types of events, people ask you what you do and you spend some time giving them the "friend version" of your elevator pitch. But when I went to my reunion, I noticed that no one asked me what I did. Everyone already knew what I do professionally because I have been weaving my online brand into my status updates, notes, and blog posts shared on Facebook for a year and a half. Many of my friends commented that they enjoyed the career advice I freely share on Facebook. Others introduced me to their high school friends and coupled the introduction with comments such as "Barb gives great advice to people in job search" or Barb, my friend here is thinking about changing careers...why don't you two talk?" I knew my career brand was working because not only did my friends understand and remember what I do; they became my cheerleaders and spread the message of what I do and its value to others.

When you are in a job search you need a clear and compelling career brand and you need a lot of cheerleaders who can advocate for you. Your message of value must be easy to understand so that when it spreads, the information is accurate and the results don't resemble the childhood game of "telephone" where a group of people whisper a message to each other and the end result is a totally different message from the original one.

Here are a few ways to get started on building a consistent career brand online that will work for you.

1. Branded Signature Line. Create a signature line to include on every email you send. The signature line can have your name, contact information, professional identity, a tagline that describes what you do, a blog if you have one, and even a link or two to other sites that better define who you are such as your LinkedIn profile or Twitter feed.
2. Targeted Status Updates. Your status updates may differ depending on the culture of the networking site you are on. For instance, a status update on the more whimsical Facebook might not fly on the more serious LinkedIn. Your status updates don't have to be all business, but you should strive towards offering information that others can use or appreciate and keep most of your messages on brand.
3. Blog Posts. If you keep a blog, link it to your business and social networking profiles. This practice allows you to cast a wider net and increase the likelihood that people will "get" what you do and tell others about it. Again, every blog post does not have to be serious, but each post should have value to your readership and strengthen your core career brand. 

People want to do business with people they know and feel comfortable with. Online tools can help you get to know more people faster, regardless of obstacles such as geography. People do find jobs via online communities and the people who experience the greatest success have developed a strong online career brand.

Posted by Barbara Safani

Comments

[your career advice guide]

good one

[stop snoring]

I bookmarked this already dude great work

[Baltimore Heating]

I bookmarked your post will read this latter

Regards

Lindsay

[Childrens Upholstered Chairs]

I posted your article to my myspace profile.

Regards
Nancy