If you’ve studied business or marketing then you already understand the importance of branding. It’s the name and image that go along with your product or service – the identification people have in their minds when they think of your company name. Imagine the difference in a company like Nike, whose branding embodies an athletic lifestyle, instead branded to appeal to computer gamers or chess players. The idea you’d have in your head when your hear “Nike” would most likely be vastly different to what you envision now.
For a business, the goal of branding is to attract new customers and retain old ones. For job-seekers, having a personal brand will attract recruiters and employers and will help you advance your career and get a better job.
Here are some tips on how to land a job with personal branding.
Use Social Media
Because the term millennial spans so many years, it’s quite possible that the social media revolution started after you found an inherent use for it. For someone like me, who just started college when Facebook was launched, platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and LinkedIn became popular when I was older and already entering my professional career.
For others, social media will be a no-brainer. For those with established followers and friends online, it’s easier to transition your existing accounts to align with your intended professional brand. There are a couple things to keep in mind when using social media for professional advancement. For one, make sure that your brand is consistent across all platforms. You don’t want to confuse an employer and leave them with a negative impression. Additionally, refrain from off-color commentary or anything that could potentially come off as inappropriate unless your industry calls for it. You don’t want to be denied a job because of a status update made at 3 a.m. while inebriated.
Be Unique
While recruiters will mostly be looking at how large your online network is, another aspect of what an employer is looking for is that special unknown. The thing that you bring to the table that makes you unique. Leverage your individuality and make sure that your talents and skills are online for people to see. Consider creating a website for yourself or a portfolio of your accomplishments. Having an online portfolio will only help boost your personal brand and will be a strong addition to your resume and cover letter.
Post Often, Build your Following
Many social media platforms use algorithms to determine who sees what content. Sometimes it can be broken down purely mathematically. Impressions are the number of times people look at your content and can be broken down further by tracking engagement and action. Posting often means that there is more for people to interact with, thus increasing the amount of impressions you will ultimately receive.
As an example, if you have 100 followers and 15% of your fan-base will usually see a post, that means 15 people will see the post–as long as you maintain the 100-follower status. Increase or decrease that number and the amount of people who are able to see your posts will increase or decrease accordingly. Out of those 15 people, a percentage may like, repost, or comment on your content, thus increasing the amount of times that your content will come across their pages, and others’ pages in the future. It’s not as simple as posting a lot, however. The quality of your content will also increase the likelihood that people directly interact with it. If you are posting frequently but there is no interaction, you are not effectively expanding your reach for your personal brand.
The algorithms social media platforms implement vary, and are much more complex than the example above. However by having a loose understanding of how they work, you can make sure you are putting out content people are interacting with and increase the visibility that you have online. All of this takes time, and your profile isn’t going to go viral in the matter of days. Consider using special apps like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite so that you can schedule your posts if you’re busy during the day.
Once you have your network built online, use it. A strong personal brand means that you already have a large network filled with employment opportunities. Sometimes the employer will end up reaching out to you, eliminating the need for you to even search for a job. Personal branding and the ability to build one online is a powerful tool that millennials should already be good at. Don’t have it exclusively for your social life when you can utilize it to expand your career.
