Personal branding is the red-hot buzzword these days and for good reason. The term, first discussed by Tom Peters in 1997, is a powerful topic whose significance is growing by the day. No one will disagree that in the digital age, the importance of establishing and maintaining a strong personal brand is vital to your future success.
“It’s what you do that makes you who you are and how you project that to others that makes you memorable.”
- Dan Schwabel, Personal Branding Blog
Incase you’re new to the subject, personal branding is treating your personal image as if it where a consumer brand. It’s a process of articulating your unique values and attributes, consistently, across multiple platforms. Being a marketing guy at heart, this concept has intrigued me ever since I first heard it years ago.
In today’s marketplace, a strong personal brand gives you the ability to stand out in a crowd – a competitive advantage. Tomorrow, on the other hand, will be different. The absence of one (or a negative one) could be devastating. Just this month, careerbuilder.com released some eye-opening statistics related to employers using social networking sites to screen potential employees. Here are a few memorable stats directly from their site:
Of those hiring managers who have screened job candidates via social networking profiles, one-third (34 percent) reported they found content that caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration. Top areas for concern among these hiring managers included:
- 41% – candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs
- 40% – candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
- 29% – candidate had poor communication skills
- 27% – candidate lied about qualifications
On the other hand, social networking profiles gave some job seekers an edge over the competition. Twenty-four percent of hiring managers who researched job candidates via social networking sites said they found content that helped to solidify their decision to hire the candidate. Top factors that influenced their hiring decision included:
- 48% – candidate’s background supported their qualifications for the job
- 43% – candidate had great communication skills
- 40% – candidate was a good fit for the company’s culture
- 36% – candidate’s site conveyed a professional image
To see the complete results of the survey, view the full report.
Though I won’t claim to be an expert on the subject, it’s hard to deny that the power of personal branding is only growing by the day. Below are some of my favorite resources in regard to personal branding. Each provides a slightly different outlook and strategy as to creating and promoting your own personal brand. My only advice is, that you don’t wait, start today…
Additional resources on personal branding:
- Dan Schawbel’s Personal Branding Blog
- Reach Communications’ Personal Branding Blog
- Rob Cuesta’s Personal Branding Blog
- Chris Brogan’s Free E-Book on personal branding
- Brand-Yourself.com
Nice write-up… why do so many people sell themselves short, the simplest steps to success are ignored. Financial, career, relationships, it is possible to have harmony, well oh maybe that’s a bit too optimistic. But take 2 out of 3 anyway.
My younger sister just graduated /with an MBA in health care/ and is out pounding the pavement so-to-speak. I had the financial discussion about “paying yourself first” — ha! she FINALLY got it, after I showed her some 401k-retirement calculators.
I have also asked her to “wax and polish” her facebook for a more professional presentation and create a profile on Twitter and LinkedIn prior to submitting resumes.
You think she would be all over my advice since one of my responsibilities is hiring for a mid-size software development company.
I finally sat her down in my office and walked her through the process I use to hire an individual. Showing her the current tools HR/Recruiters/Hiring Managers are using like Dayak, a recruiting marketplace, in replace of / or in conjunction with paper-ads or job boards. Then I took an applicants resume and started googling the individual, checking his facebook, etc… her eyes finally opened.
I just want her to be smart. ; ) oh AND organized. I am buying her books to read this christmas. I think Emotional Intelligence will be at the top of the list.
Sam
Very well said Sam, thanks for your comments! Your sister is lucky to have you taking her under your wing. All too often great candidates just don’t understand the power that social media can play in their career. Sounds like she’ll be just fine.
If you’re looking for a good resource on Emotional Intelligence, I highly recommend “The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book” by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves. It’s a little over 151 pages and is a quick how-to guide on discovering and understanding your EQ.