Social Media and Digital Branding
Social media has become increasingly important when it comes to job searching and building your professional brand. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 80% of employers reported using social media in their recruiting efforts.
But social media goes far beyond just having a LinkedIn profile; more employers are expecting job candidates to have their own personal online brand and will use what they find online to actively source and evaluate candidates. It is important to ask yourself: “Does my online identity truly represent me as a whole person?” The likely answer is: probably not.
Tip
Have a friend Google search your name (or search yourself) to see what your first impression would be to a potential employer who searched you online. Make changes accordingly.
Resources
Social Media Sites
Below are resources to help you build a positive online brand and get noticed for the right reasons. Remember, you do not need to employ every medium, but pick and choose the ones that fit best with you and your targeted industry.
This should be your first stop when beginning to develop your online brand. LinkedIn is most recruiters’ top choice when sourcing and vetting job candidates. Start building your LinkedIn profile by visiting our LinkedIn page.
Blogs and Vlogs
Blogging is a great way to develop a strong online presence and increase your SEO (search engine optimization). It is also a great way to display your writing abilities and creativity. Click here for tips on creating a blog to boost your digital brand. WordPress, Blogger and Weebly are just a few of the more popular free website hosting sites you can try.
Vlogging (video blogging) is becoming increasingly popular as a way to give a face to your online brand. According to Business.com, 69% of audiences prefer to watch video when available. YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook Live are the most common platforms for Vlogging. For more tips on how to be a successful vlogger, click here!
Online portfolios are a great way to stand out in a crowd and showcase your accomplishments in a more creative format, while still increasing your SEO. Don’t recreate the wheel by trying to build your own website from scratch (unless you are a web developer). We want viewers to see your skills and work, and not get sidetracked by a poorly designed and constructed site.
There are many free and intuitive resources out there to choose from. Weebly and Wix are good drop-and-drag resources with templates for creating websites. Carbonmade and Behance are great for design/branding/photography/fashion portfolios. GitHub is the go-to site for developers to showcase your projects. Of course if you are a financial analyst or an accountant, LinkedIn may be all that you need.
Courtesy of the National Association for Colleges and Employers
Tip
Follow your target companies and job boards across online platforms and interact when appropriate. Commenting could get you noticed!