Everyone has a personal brand, but some people aren't sure how or where they are—or whether they should be--promoting it. Here are some places you can promote your brand on a regular basis.
Nothing trumps getting out of the house and attending networking events that allow you to shine and let people get to know people one-on-one. In spite of the fact that it is easy to sit at your computer and participate in social media through the multitude of available platforms, the best way to promote your brand is to get out of the house and network. The opportunities are limitless, but for many Introverts, the prospect of getting out and meeting people is daunting.
Nevertheless, the best way to promote your personal brand is to get out and meet people. Attend Meetup groups, Chamber of Commerce meetings, political rallies, alumni get-togethers, neighborhood parties, lunch meetings for people in your industry, and any other event that you can find to attend. Nothing beats meeting people in person. And be prepared to hand out business cards while you are at it (a bonus way of promoting your brand).
Assuming that you are following the advice in #1, the next place to promote your brand is online, and the best way to create both a personal and a professional brand is to optimize your LinkedIn profile. Make sure you create a profile that presents the brand you want to present. Do you have a great head shot? Is your headline filled with keywords that tell what you do as opposed to your job title? Don’t waste that space! Your headline should represent you in terms of the problem(s) you solve and the talent or expertise you can bring to a particular position. Determine the best way to present yourself and don’t be afraid to tweak your headline as you refine your focus or evolve in your brand.
3. Use Twitter.
Twitter is another online platform that can be used to present your online brand and to promote yourself to a target market. If you are job hunting, follow companies that you think you might like to investigate as possible employers. If you are a hiring manager, connect with individuals who may bring value to your company. Twitter is an excellent forum for promoting yourself if you know how to do it and use it strategically. Be careful not to get caught up in the heat of the moment and Tweet something you might regret later. Twitter can be a double-edged sword in that regard, so utilize it but respect its power.
4. Write articles or posts to establish your brand.
LinkedIn allows users to post freely, so take advantage of that opportunity to showcase yourself and your brand. Additionally, write articles, essays, white papers, etc. and publish them yourself on your blog or your personal website, or offer your article to another medium…a magazine, a newspaper opinion piece, an article for a trade journal, etc. Get yourself established as an expert and write to share your unique thoughts, ideas, and insights.
5. Be consistent.
Regardless of the forum or format you choose or the strategy you select to promote your brand, be consistent. Don’t fill out your LinkedIn profile and then forget it. Log in at least every few days. Participate in Group Discussions. Network on a regular basis. The same advice goes for participating in Twitter or writing or networking. Establishing your brand is not a “one and done” proposition. Establishing your brand means being consistent in your efforts and being strategic in your approach.
Even though the concept of personal branding has been around for a while, I find that a lot of people fail to recognize that they already have a brand. Many people are unaware of the way they are showing up either in person or online. Every interaction, every email, every single thing you do throughout any given day whether it is on the job or during an evening out on the town is part of who you are and what your brand is. Those individuals who are most successful in the business world are acutely aware of the brand they have and the brand they want. You can always “re-brand” yourself if necessary, but it would be smarter for you to start off on the right foot and establish the brand you want and then tweak it as you grow and evolve.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a Work It Daily-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.