Looking for tips on how to manage your personal brand online? Look no further! Use the tips in this post to make sure your online personal brand is on point! - Pop Your Career

How to Manage Your Personal Brand Online

When we talk about branding, we typically think of businesses and the way they promote themselves and their products. On the other hand, the phrase ‘personal branding’ is increasingly being bandied about. But what is personal branding?

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And why is it important for our careers? Read this post for more information about managing your personal brand online!

With our lives are increasingly moving online, many have begun to create a brand around their name and their career. To help you understand this better, we’ve put together a guide to discuss in more detail how to manage your own personal brand online and how this can boost your job search. 

your personal brand online and why it's important

In much the same way as businesses promote their products, your personal branding is about the way you market yourself. This means for instance, that the content you post and any online profiles you may have represent you and your personal brand.  

How you portray yourself online is the way that your colleagues, potential employers and clients will see you. This is why it’s so important to manage your personal brand well. When it comes to your career, your online presence is like a portfolio for employers to look at before they contact you. In fact, a recent survey from CV-Library revealed that a third (30.8%) of recruiters admit to ‘stalking’ potential candidates online. Two-thirds (69.3%) confirmed that they are indeed influenced by what they find.  

For this reason, you need to be wary about what you post online; everything you share can influence your personal brand. Let's discuss the top ways you can manage your brand to boost your job search and your career.

googling yourself

The survey also found that two-thirds (65.7%) of professionals expect to be ‘Googled’ by potential employers and recruiters. So, it’s best to get ahead of the game! First of all, do an internet search of yourself and see what comes up. Remember, anything you can see is visible to recruiters and other professionals too.  

If you find any content you deem to be unprofessional, or that you wouldn’t want an employer to see, it’s probably best to delete it. This is a great way to start cleaning up your personal brand. Remove any old content or profiles you no longer use, until you’re happy that there’s nothing left that could damage your reputation.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Once you’ve begun cleaning up your digital footprint, it’s time to sort out your social media profiles. Interestingly, over one in four (29.5%) confessed that their social media profiles aren’t set to private. This means that everything they post or share is easily accessible. If you’re worried about what recruiters might find, it’s a good idea to set these to private. That way they can only see your content if they connect with you. Then it’s your choice whether or not you accept them.   

But it’s not just about hiding your social media. You can really build your personal brand by doing great things with your profiles. For example, you can follow influencers or big names in your chosen industry. You can also join Facebook groups and Twitter chats with like-minded professionals. What’s more, you can post relevant content or sector news to your profiles. All of which can be great for boosting your knowledge, showing you’re passionate about your career and strengthening your personal brand.


Want to up-level your personal brand? (Or just find out what a personal brand is?) Check out this post!

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professional networks

Professional profiles such as LinkedIn can be a great way to connect with others in your field and showcase your skills. LinkedIn can act almost like an online CV, allowing you to include a profile, your employment history and your qualifications.  

Again, you need to be careful of the content you’re sharing and how you portray yourself on these platforms. For example, two-thirds (61.2%) of recruiters said that they believe selfies are not acceptable for use on professional profiles such as LinkedIn. So it’s best to stick to a professional image, with a clear background. Selfies or images of you on a night out could be distracting and seen as unprofessional.  

Above all, getting these profiles up to scratch is important. Some employers will even use these as a recruitment tool, meaning they’ll be able to find you and approach you with any opportunities they think you may be suited for. This is your chance to boost your personal brand, particularly when it comes to your career. So take some time to fill out your profile thoroughly and remember this is a chance to sell yourself! 

consider content creation

You could also consider producing your own content, working to build yourself an online portfolio. Depending on the nature of your career, this could mean different things. It could be that you start your own blog to showcase your writing skills. You may also share your professional photographs, graphic design work or start a YouTube channel.  

Whatever it is that you do, it’s great to show that you’re passionate and continuing to pursue this in your free time. These projects are also great additions to your CV because they allow employers to get a better idea of who you are and what you’re capable of. The more creative you are – the better!

You may even want to consider putting together a personal website, which is a great way to showcase your personal brand online cohesively and effectively. 

always keep working on your PERSONAL brand

On the positive side, your personal brand will grow and develop as your career does. But as a result, you need to update your brand as you go. You might choose to branch out on to new platforms, continue to share great content on social media and join more groups and forums. By continually working on your image online, you’ll always be helping to further your career prospects.

final thoughts

Building a strong personal brand online is the perfect way to significantly boost your career, particularly when you’re job hunting. Therefore, you should always be especially careful about what you’re posting online. Remember, if you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see it, perhaps you shouldn’t share it! 

Take some time to clean up your digital footprint and make your social media profiles private where necessary. Finally, branding is all about selling yourself, so think carefully about how you can market yourself online to become even more employable!   

Resume-Library is one of the leading U.S. job boards. For more expert advice on careers and the workplace, visit their Career Advice pages.

Looking for tips on how to manage your personal brand online? Look no further! Use the tips in this post to make sure your online personal brand is on point! - Pop Your Career

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About the Author

Bec

Bec McFarland is an experienced HR practitioner, manager, career coach and the creator of Pop Your Career. She delights in sharing practical, straight to the point career advice, spending time with her family and eating Mexican food.

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