Whether you’re in the market for a new job or you’re busy climbing the ranks in your current place of employment or you’re a C-suite executive, in today’s internet driven world, building your personal brand isn’t a luxury, it’s something that will happen and if you don’t craft it by design, it’ll be crafted by default.
A well-grounded online presence is just as important for a career-driven professional as it is for an active job seeker as it can help you become a person in demand that people want to work with, putting you in charge of your career.
Whether or not you want it, your personal brand is in public domain. These days, recruiters almost never base hiring decisions on the resume, no matter how well-crafted or fantastic the claims are, instead, they often start the process by doing some online research which almost always includes Googling the candidate’s name. Potential clients do the same with C-suite executives prior to making a decision about doing business with a company. If you have a fantastic resume but little or no online presence, there is definitely a problem.
To build your personal brand, start by deciding what you want to be known for then position yourself as the go-to-person for the specific skill. Honing your skill is simple if you are dedicated to the process. Never stop learning and never stop sharing your knowledge. Sharing your knowledge can be done via various mediums, including blog posts, LinkedIn posts, talking at conferences, being quoted in magazine articles, recording video(s) among others.
The world moves at a tremendously fast phase. What’s in today can be obsolete tomorrow so you must never get too comfortable and continue to learn new skills. Be great at something but be good at other things. Ask questions. Those that ask learn and those that learn grow. When you see a need, offer to fill it out, don’t wait to be asked.
Build relationships. Endorse people, brag about them when you have to. Supporting others goes a long way in building a solid reputation for yourself as a team player and someone people want to work with.
Very importantly network. Network socially and professionally online and offline. Attend meetups around you. Connect with industry leaders via LinkedIn. Attend conferences and seminars related to your work and use that opportunity to meet people, don’t just be the invisible attendee.
In conclusion, building your personal brand is never-ending, it needs to be a continuous process. It takes time to build a solid presence. Keep your profiles up-to-date, stay in touch with your contacts, build and maintain your network, and continue to work on your branding constantly.
