Branding Yourself on Social Media - Individuals
When you are looking for a job, you are marketing your skills and abilities. Because of this, it can be helpful to create a personal brand. When businesses create a brand, it includes:
- Clear brand purpose and positioning
- Thorough market research
- Likable brand personality
- Memorable logo
- Attractive color palette
- Professional typography
- On-brand supporting graphics
- Let's review how some of these apply to the job seeker.
Elements of a Brand
Purpose
When you understand "why," you can more easily establish the path you want to follow as a job seeker. One resource you may want to review is Start With Why by Simon Sinek. Also, watch this TED talk.
Brands need to establish a mission and vision. What is yours? Simply getting a job or hiring a new employee is a given. What is the real purpose behind what you do or need a new employee to do?
Research
In a business market, research revolves around learning about your competition. The typical job search does not allow you to know who your competition is. However, you can find out about the businesses you apply to. Research the people who already work at the company by using Google or LinkedIn.
Brand Personality
As a job seeker, you should ensure what you put on the internet represents you consistently and accurately. For example, a headshot change needs to be consistent across all places you have a profile. Just like a business, the brand message you use needs to be the same everywhere.
Logo
Most job seekers do not have a logo. If you use one like businesses do, make sure it is memorable. It may be as simple as your monogram, or even a brooch or watch that you wear to interviews. It could even serve as a conversation starter.
Color
You may adapt a signature color as part of your brand. Businesses often use a color or set of colors, such as Coca Cola red, or Dunkin' Donuts orange and pink. Think about the meanings of specific colors and what they represent. If you are interested, this page gives a detailed look at color meanings.
Typography
What font or set of fonts do you use for your resume, your leave behind and your internet profiles?
Graphics
It is a bit harder to develop graphics for your job search than it is for a business. To create a graphic for your job search, search the internet for "visual resume." To get you started, here is a list of 20 tools to create an infographic of your experiences. You can find a few of these links in our associated resources.
Points to Keep in Mind
Remember, no matter what choices you make, where you create your presence affects everything, as well as what you do with the platforms or tools you use. Be careful to not harm your reputation by posting or sharing something that doesn't fit within your brand. Read more about establishing your presence on social media in the next section.