Without a doubt, at one point or another you will have heard the term ‘Personal Brand.’ Once upon a time, a very long time ago, companies were the only ones that had to worry about their brands. Now, ordinary people have to do it too, especially those, who are actively seeking new employment opportunities. If you have a profile on social networks and you use it in a profesional manner, it is worth considering what your profile transmits to a potential employer or future work colleagues.
Here are some common errors, which social media users make on their profiles and without a doubt, hurt their personal brand:
Lack of attention to detail: Typos and incomplete profiles suggest to the potential employer that you are someone, who does not pay attention to detail. This is true even if you adorn your profile with keywords to attract recruiters’ attention. Recruiters are not going to get in touch with you if they see a sloppy profile. Therefore, it is essential that you update your profile often in order to make sure that your profile does not reflect badly on you.
Not understanding Net-etiquette: Before participating in any social network, you ought to find out what constitutes appropriate behaviour on this network. You could easily discourage a potential recruiter if you behave inappropriately in the world of social media because they might conclude that your lack of awareness online might extent to the workplace.
One in a thousand, nothing differentiating you from others: There is nothing about you on your profile that is attractive or distinctive. Your profile is neutral and does not give the employer a reason to give you a second chance. In other words, you are just like all the other millions of social media users.
You have very few connections: It is very easy to create a community on social networks because there are thousands of users on the network and the majority are open to connecting with you so that you can share interesting things. But if you are one of those people, who have completed their profile and are waiting for people to come to you, you will have very few opportunities to make yourself an attractive candidate. The key is to connect and involve yourself in different networks in which you have a profile and search for people with related ideas or completely opposing ideas if you like debates.
Your profile is a little suggestive: Your profesional title (LinkedIn), your biography (on Twitter), or your profile (Facebook) ought to say something about what you can offer to a potential employer. If you are a corporate communications profesional, for example, it ought to say “Director of Communications – Helping companies connect with the public.” But, your Twitter profile has to include a URL, which links with your LinkedIn page to highlight your achievements in the profesional experience section.
Your objectives must be to increase your credibility and your connections so that you demonstrate your unique profesional value. Are you doing this?
