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What would your potential new employer think if they googled your name right now?
Your personal brand and online presence are powerful tools when applying for jobs. Stand out from the competition by showcasing your unique strengths and achievements in the best light.
In this article, we'll provide some valueable tips for optimising your online presence as a job seeker. From cleaning up your social media profiles to using LinkedIn effectively and creating a professional work portfolio, these strategies will help you capture the interest of potential employers and increase the chances of landing your dream job.
1. Define Yourself
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. - George Bernhard Shaw
The first step in building a strong personal brand is to figure out who you are and what you stand for. You need to get clear on your unique skills and strengths so you know exactly what to focus on in your personal brand. This isn't just a list of what you have to offer; these attributes explain how you offer what you have. So, for example, you may have a decade of sales experience, but your unique strength could be offering an honest and authentic sales experience.
This will be different for everyone. It's about defining yourself in a way that is genuine and true to you. You want your brand to connect with people on an emotional level, so start by pinpointing what drives you. Like if you’re passionate about helping children succeed in school, you could build your personal brand around that.
The key to personal branding is to make it personal. People are attracted to genuine people. Communicating dry facts doesn't impress because you aren't connecting on an emotional level. Your brand should show your personality! Share ideas, let your sense of humour shine through, be humble and make real connections with people.
Sometimes this can be a difficult process to do on your own, as it's hard to identify your own unique strengths. These are the things that come so naturally to you that you can easily dismiss them as something anyone can do! It's really hard to see your own strengths. So, if you'd like assistance, you can reach out to me here:
2. Clean up your social media profiles
Most recruiters will Google or search for you on social media to find out more before calling you for an interview.
1 in 3 recruiters pass on a candidate based on something negative found on a social media profile - Forbes
It's important to conduct a review of your online presence to prevent your application from being overlooked. Clean up your social media profiles and make sure they accurately reflect who you are and what you do.
3. Use LinkedIn to your advantage
Your social media review doesn't stop at simply adjusting your privacy settings and removing an embarrassing photo tag or two. This is where you can get proactive. You can add positive indicators of your work and personal life across many channels that a hiring manager and recruiter turn to when vetting your background.
LinkedIn is a great platform for job seekers, so make sure you have a complete and up to date profile. Use it to connect with industry professionals and showcase your work experience and skills.
Is your LinkedIn profile complete and up to date?
Does it align with what you have on your resume?
Are you commenting and interacting on groups and platforms relevant to your position and industry?
By being an active member in your field, you show you're likely to be an engaged employee committed to professional development and being informed about your industry. By joining groups and engaging with leaders in your field, you’ll be able to show off the work you’ve done and get noticed by hiring managers.
4. Create a professional website
Using a personal website as an online portfolio of your work is a great way to showcase your skills, experience and personality. Providing link to your online portfolio in your resume gives hiring managers insights into your work that they can access at any time.
Creating an online portfolio might sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as easy as:
A Blog posting articles about your current work.
A simple Portfolio Website using a template from Wix or Squarespace.
Adding Rich Media to your LinkedIn Profile in your About Section and Employment history. Just add some photos, videos and PDFs of your work.
If this resonates with you and you'd like to get started on a portfolio of your own, I've written more to help you here: Create A Professional Work Portfolio: How To Showcase Your Best Projects
3. Leverage Your Professional Network
Finally, you can build your professional network to get noticed by hiring managers. Take a look at the people you currently know in your network and think about the types of companies they work for. Is there a company that you’d like to work for but have yet to apply to? If so, get in touch using an 'ask email' to someone who works there and let them know you’re interested in working for their company.
Here's three ways you can connect with your network to build your personal brand and grow your career:
Meet people: Take advantage of networking opportunities to meet new people. If you get invited to a relevant event in your industry, say yes!
Collaborate: Collaborating is a great way to expand your skill set and influence. Work with others to contribute to new projects and increase your professional experience.
Develop an elevator speech: An elevator speech is a brief introduction of 30 seconds to a minute. You need to include your name, qualifications, and how you can be useful. This will make sure you maximise opportunities and always make a great first impression!
Conclusion
Employers will only spend a few seconds looking at each resume, so your online presence can significantly impact your job search. And, it's not just important for job seekers. When you build your personal brand, it makes networking simpler and opens the door of opportunities now and for the future.
By following the tips above, you can enhance your online presence and strengthen your personal brand to increase your chances of landing your dream job. If you would like further assistance, I invite you to book a LinkedIn profile optimisation session with me. During this session, we'll update your profile to accurately reflect your personal brand and showcase your unique strengths and accomplishments.
Let's get you that interview! Book your session here: