Remember when you had one version of your resume printed on nice paper? How about when finding a job meant looking at the wanted ads? Don't laugh, many are still doing it that way. Jobs have evolved, shouldn't job search? There is a post there about building peer communities of practice - such a slam dunk for those sites and companies.
The reality is that we're all connected - and that's even more evident once you jump online. There are only six pixels of separation between you and anyone else. A quick search for information on perspective employers, colleagues, partners... a likely dinner date means that any one of these groups can do the same to check you out. Your digital imprint can be traced, but personality is not included, so go get yours!
Building a personal platform and brand is an art and a balancing act. That's because when done to promote selfish motives, with no eye as to impact on community and no aspirations to help lift your network, or a worthy cause, branding yourself is an exercise in calories. It can leave you bulky on the outside, but empty on the inside.
Then there's the weighty question of what you do with all that exposure when you join a company - and team - and what the company decides to do when you move on. Do all the work and brand equity vanish into thin air? Who do you represent online? Who benefits the most from joining forces - the individual, or the company?
With shrinking budgets and busy schedules, you cannot expect continuing education to come with the job. While you learn a lot by doing, moving up requires constant learning and executing at higher levels. In many ways, learning constantly will just keep you in place at the pace at which change is happening today.
Social media is perfect for career development as it allows professionals to show what they know and how they think, interact with peers and build connections, learn from others, find mentors, and to become known as the go to person for that unique factor.
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Some tips:
- you find what works by doing, so get busy
- listening and observing are fabulous technologies
- work from your strengths - use the Strengths Finder, or leverage the Birkman Method for a more in depth look at where you are and your coachable moments
- being helpful is the new black
- clever is easy and tempting to do online, criticizing a potential employer may not be such a smart idea
What are you passionate about? How do you connect with others and opportunities? Why is it a good idea to be generous and real? How can you elevate something very personal to help many more? These are some of the questions and topics we'll address at Brand Camp U on October 10.
Add your thoughts and suggestions.
[image El Alma del Ebro]
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Hashtag #brandcampu
Twitter handles: @RohitBhargava, @ConversationAge, @HajjFlemings, @AprilHolmes, @MitchJoel, @ScottMonty
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Other posts that might be helpful:
Great post. Being generous and real is very important. When you start relationships with new people they want you to be real and genuine. You don't want to get to know someone who is hiding secrets from you or has some type of ulterior motives for the friendship.Generosity is also a huge plus. You want to be in a relationship knowing that there's mutual caring and that the other person is willing to share their knowledge and resources with you. The same principle can be applied to social media and business relationships. The conversations and the relationships we start are with REAL people, so it only makes sense to approach the situation the same way you would a new friendship.
Posted by: Aysel Vandeventer | October 06, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Also, wish we could attend the Brand Camp University conference, but it's a 10 hour drive for us. Maybe another time :)
Posted by: Aysel Vandeventer | October 06, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Valeria,
Thanks again; your advice hits home and I continue to move forward. Still working on taking a bigger leap and seeing more positive ROI on the online presence.
Enjoy BrandCamp U; it is the same day as ProductCamp Seattle - http://pcs09.pathable.com/ - and my apologies for the self-promotion. In retrospect, the event was initiated based on some online conversations!
Detroit can be a nice place; lived there a long time ago. Try to enjoy a nice meal in Greektown.
Posted by: NWGuy | October 06, 2009 at 03:08 PM
@Aysel - no doubt, a 10-hour drive is a long drive! Nice to know you thought about it even for a moment.
@Bruce - I'm glad you're feeling that things are moving forward and you're getting results. This is an interesting week indeed. There seems to be a lot going on in October/November.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | October 07, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Great post thanks for sharing, this would help people who have blogs and use social media to a great extent but somehow are not aware how to use this for self branding in that way helping others as well, and I agree that it helps a lot in career building.
Thanks Again
@MrAkashSharma
Posted by: Akash Sharma | October 09, 2009 at 09:46 AM