Nov 27, 2008 0
Alan and I trialled our new Personal Branding Workshops with an overview presentation for the CIM at the University of Southampton last week. We’ve spared you the video this time but you can check out the slides here:
Oct 8, 2008 1
Shannon Paul delivers a timely reminder not to ditch the old world yet in your quest for the 21st century CV J
As with all marketing communications, it is important to tailor the style and content to the needs of your audience. So make sure you do your research before firing off your ‘new world’ CV…make sure you can answer this question – will it impress the recruiter, or scare him/her off???
Some good advice from Shannon:
“The bottom line is that while all of this stuff is extremely cool and does indeed have the ability to change business for the better, we’re not there yet.”
She goes on to note several ways in which you can use social media in a non-threatening way to enhance your traditional CV:
“Start with a Word document version of your resume since that’s what most people are familiar with, but don’t stop there…
Hyperlink all of the information in your resume that makes sense. Your name can link to your blog, and your contact information can include links to your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr etc. profiles. Make sure that the information on the selected profiles is something you wouldn’t mind sharing with a potential employer.
Create an HTML version of your resume and embed it into the body of your email to HR.
Write an introduction explaining what you’ve done as if you’re explaining it to your Mom. Let them know why you think this is important. Explain your interest in sharing information about yourself as it exists online and invite them to explore these links to research who you are. Phrase it in such a way that suggests you’re trying to make their job easier.
Attach the Word document version of your resume to your message and let them know in the introduction that a Word version of your resume is also attached. A lot of times people just want to save resumes in a predictable way or print them out. (Yes, people still print things out and make notes on them with a pen).
Don’t expect them to click on anything. If you’re called in for an interview, don’t start asking whether they read your latest blog post or saw the pictures from your week in Yosemite posted to Facebook. Remember, you sent them an invitation, but that doesn’t mean you should make them feel obligated to check you out on your terms. Just keep inviting people to check out your work and your life online.”
Don’t forget to read the many comments on Shannon’s post, which are also very informative.
Sep 17, 2008 1
More than one in five employers search social networking sites to screen job candidates, according to a survey of more than 31,000 employers released by CareerBuilder.com this week and reported in Computer World.
The study found that the number of hiring managers that are turning to social networks like MySpace and Facebook to check out candidates’ online behaviour has increased to 22% of employers from just 11% in 2006. Of the hiring managers who use social networks, 33% said they found information on such sites that caused them to STOP considering the candidate for a job, and 24% found content on social networks that HELPED
Technorati Tags: careers,social networks
CONVINCE THEM TO HIRE a candidate. These managers said that profiles showing a professional image and solid references can boost a candidate’s chances for a job.
The top areas of concern found on social networking sites include:
“Hiring managers are using the Internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit within the company,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.com. “As a result, more job seekers are taking action to make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. 16% of workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers”
The report recommends that job seekers:
You have been warned!
Sep 12, 2008 0
Are you on the right or the wrong side of the ‘digital divide’? The gap is nowadays less about if you have access to the web, but more about whether you understand how to participate in the networked society. If you have the skills, time and confidence to navigate the online chaos you will gain access to new opportunities, find audiences for your work and enrich the lives of others. With all the free online resources available to you at University, there is no excuse for being trapped on the wrong side of the divide.
Finding a job and managing your career progression involves understanding how today’s networks work and how to deploy them effectively. Building and maintaining your personal brand (both online and offline) is critical to marketing yourself as a prospective employee or business partner, or entrepreneur seeking funding. If a recruitment consultant thinks you may be suitable for a particular role and he idly Googles your name, what will he find? Perhaps those dodgy Facebook photos will surface to your embarrassment…but hopefully at the top of the list will be the photo of you receiving an achievement award from your University, or your blog which showcases your interests and experience, or your LinkedIn profile which has links to glowing testimonials from people who know you well.
So think of Google “as your reputation management system”. This term comes from the branding guru Chris Brogan whose words of wisdom are well worth bookmarking or following. He notes: “A personal brand gives you the ability to stand out in a sea of similar products. In essence, you’re marketing yourself as something different than the rest of the pack.”
Building your personal brand takes time. Here are a few starting points I’ve summarised for you from Chris’s advice on how to start developing your Google profile:
There’s more to come in a future blog post. If you can’t wait J there’s much more about how to interact effectively on these sites and build your brand along the right lines in http://www.chrisbrogan.com/img/broganbranding.pdf
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