We’re sure you’ve heard the advice that as a job hunter you need to build your personal brand. What does that mean exactly? It sure sounds like fancy industry buzzwords that don’t really accomplish anything but a personal brand is very important in today’s job market. Getting started is much easier than you think, too. Here are some easy ways you can build your personal brand starting today.

1. Identify your product. Ultimately, your product is you. Your personal brand should reflect who you are as a professional along with who you are as a person. What kind of job are you looking for? What experience do you bring to the table? What makes you stand out among your competition? All of these things will help inform your personal brand.
2. Buy a website. The next more practical step is to buy your domain name. The reason for this is two-fold. First, you want to make sure that you own your name online so a different brand doesn’t become erroneously associated with you. Second, it gives you a platform to build everything else. Check with services such as Go Daddy to see what is available. Search for available sites using some combination of your first and last name. For example you can choose sallysmith.com or sksmith.com. Try to buy the .com version of the site but if that isn’t available look for .net or .org.
3. Start a blog. Next, now that you have a website, you should use it. Create a site that includes your credentials and a resume. More importantly, to keep your content fresh and interesting, start a blog. Your blog should position you as an expert in your field and keep interested parties reading and returning to your website.
4. Join social media. Don’t stop at your website. Make sure you have the right social media presence so you can be visible to potential employers. LinkedIn is the most important site for professional networking online. Facebook is also very popular. If you want to keep Facebook more personal, lock down all your privacy settings to make it friends only and start a page related to your website.
5. Create marketing materials. Lastly, each of these components should be held together visually. Consumer brands that are most popular have a distinct logo or design that is quickly and easily associated with the product. You can do this too. Select a design and color scheme that represents you. Make it clean and easy to read. Then, you can purchase cards online through a number of inexpensive services with your personal logo so you can share them when you’re networking in person.

Are you ready to share your brand with potential employers? VincentBenjamin is hiring now so call us today!