July 16, 2008
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| Defining Your Personal Brand |
| by
Mike Templeton, Ankeny
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As consumers and jobseekers spend more time online, it’s only natural for employers to start doing the same. This can be a curse – or a blessing – depending on how well you have defined your personal brand.
First things first, if you do not own the domain for your name (www.firstnamelastname.com), purchase it now. Google and the other search engines love keyword rich domain names, and if you own your name as a domain, that should rank very well when an employer is doing a search on you.
Once you have your domain name, you need to start thinking about what will be published there. You could post your resume, links to your profile on various social media sites, a blog, or a multitude of other things. Whatever it is, make sure its something that you wouldn’t mind a potential employer seeing.
Aside from your domain name, you’ve probably already got a lot of content out on the web from other websites you already use. Be thinking about Facebook, Flickr or LinkedIn. What do your profiles on those sites say about you as a person? What do they say about you as a professional? If they’re not saying positive things, it may be time to revisit what is out there.
The key is to define and develop your personal brand as a digital representation of yourself. When someone is looking to learn more about you, make sure they get the right impression when they punch your name into their favorite search engine. If you don’t manage your personal brand to the best of your abilities, it could spell disaster come time for that new job.
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| "Lots of companies are doing Google searches on interviewees, as well as looking them up on Facebook. These are great places for individuals to make new connections, but they also help companies and employers connect to you.
Just make sure you're aware of what's out there and that it's in line with how you want to be perceived." |
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| "Yes, all too often Gen Y'ers erroneously assume employers only see what's placed in front of them." |
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