Personal branding is important in social media. And both social media and personal branding are important in today’s job search process. Joshua Waldman, author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies, gets that. He summarizes his new book as follows:
If you’re looking for a first job, exploring a career change, or preparing to re-enter the job market after being out of it for several years, you need to take advantage of social media for the best results. Social media sites are proven platforms for facilitating connections, demonstrating passions and interests, and ultimately landing jobs.
In his book, Waldman teaches readers the following:
- How to harness the power of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more to propel your job search
- Make your online profiles work for you so that opportunities knock at your door
- Create a winning strategy for securing a position
- Build your personal brand online to truly stand out from the crowd
Where does personal branding come in? In Chapter 4, “Personal Branding 101,” Waldman discusses the importance of building and maintaining your professional brand—before someone else does. “Because you can’t reach into someone else’s head and tweak how that person sees you, all you can do is change your image, your messaging, your look, and so forth to better align with who you really are,” he writes.
Social media and your brand
It’s easy to craft an online brand today. Almost instantly after signing up for a social media site, blog, or website, you can tell people across the world who you are, what you do, and much more. What affects other’s perceptions of your brand? According to Waldman, these three elements:
- The way you act online: Your online behavior clues people in to what you may be like in person. The way you act may include the state of your LinkedIn profile, your blog, or the first three pages of a Google search results of your name. Do you have a story to tell? How frequently do you post messages?
- The way (and how often) you talk online: Your online voice reflects how people hear your offline voice. For example, are you posting status updates on your profiles? If so, do your updates add values or are they silly? Are you aware of your audience when you post?
- The way you present yourself: This may include the way your blog looks and how professional your pictures are. Is there a font you’re fond of? If so, what does it communicate? Also, what do the colors in your blog or online resume communicate?
Although Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies is meant to be for folks who either don’t know much on the topic or don’t understand it yet, it certainly holds value for anyone looking to leverage today’s online tools for career and job search success. Even if you think you know everything about social media for your job search, this book can certainly teach you a thing or two to boost your personal brand beyond where it is currently.
