Human Resource (HR) Question:

Answer #1
In a nutshell, your brand is your online presence. You can, and should, have your own brand; just like Tiffany’s has for fine jewelry or Subway has for submarine sandwiches.

Your professional brand needs to reflect your skills, your interests, and your expertise. So, when someone finds information about you online, it connects them to who you are and what you can do.

Like it or not, if an employer is considering you for a job, they are going to Google you to see what they can find. What you don’t want prospective employers looking at is the pictures of your summer vacation or a party where you might have over-indulged a little. The rule of thumb I always use is the “grandma” standard. If there is something that you wouldn’t want your grandmother (or your mom) seeing on the web, you don’t want a prospective employer viewing it either.

I still cringe at the photos I’ve seen on some Face book pages and in blogs. Some of the descriptions of the good times had by all are cringe-worthy, too, when you look at them from a “what they can do to your job search” perspective.

Answer #2
Remember, once you put something online (or your friends do) it’s there just about forever. Perhaps employers shouldn’t consider your personal life as relevant to your qualifications for a job, but they do. So, that’s why you need to make your brand one that’s going to impress both potential employers and your networking contacts (the people who will help you find a job).

Here’s an example of a good professional presence, if I do say so myself. Google “Alison Doyle” and take a look at the search results. You won’t find anything regarding my summer vacation or my personal life. Instead, you’ll find my About.com Job Searching site (jobsearch.about.com), my Linked in Profile (linkedin.com/in/alisondoyle), my Blog (alisondoyle.typepad.com), my web site (alisondoyle.com), and my book listings on Amazon. That’s by design. It wasn’t hard to do, and I’ll show you how you can build a brand that you’re comfortable sharing online.

Another good example of brand building is Jason Alba (jasonalba.com), CEO of JibberJobber.com and author of I’m on Linked In – Now What? Google “Jason Alba” and you’ll see all the results are related to his career; Jibber Jobber, his Blog, his web site, and his Linked In profile

Answer #3
When you look at the search results for both Jason and me, you’ll see that we’re experts on job searching, careers, and job search management. That’s what we do and it’s immediately apparent what our area of expertise is.

Try the same searches with Yahoo and you’ll get similar results. It’s a little harder if you have a last name that lots of other people share, but even if you don’t get into the top 10 rankings for your name, your goal is for the top results to include all “good” content and none of the things you don’t want grandma to see

Building Your Professional Brand

You might think that I’m giving you backwards advice, but I’m not. Before you start writing or updating your resume or applying for a single job, you need to start building your online presence. The only exception would be if you’re looking for a retail, seasonal, temp, or similar job, where the hiring considerations are different and it’s easier to apply and to get hired. In that case, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a professional presence online, but it’s not a necessity.

Answer #4
It’s important to build your brand in order to:

1. Create a professional presence on the internet.

2. Market yourself as a strong candidate for employers.

3. Connect with contacts that will help you with your job search.

4. Help prospective employers find you.

How Yogi Berra Would Do on the Job Interview

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Yogi Berra.”

Admit it–it was most definitely NOT that he was perhaps the greatest catcher in baseball history, or that he held baseball records for almost thirty years, but you thought of all his famous quotes. They are even called by their own word: Yogisms.

After an amazing baseball career, it’s almost sad that we remember him not for catching almost 100 World Series games, or being a world champion ten times, or fielding 1,000% for an entire season, but for his mangling of the English language with quotes like: “This is like deja vu, all over again.” Or, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Or, “baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” Or, maybe even “nobody goes there any more, it’s too crowded.”

Funny. And, the more he talked, the funnier he got.

I see the same thing happening with job seekers, especially during initial interviews. The more they talk, the funnier they get.

Answer #5
So, words to the wise, pay attention to what you are saying. This is not the time to “shoot the breeze” with the interviewer, I don’t care if they do seem all friendly and “cool.” Almost everything you say will be judged and re-played. I have heard interviews played back almost verbatim between interviewer and hiring manager, long after the applicant has left the building. Words do matter.

The winning interviews are natural, sure. Please realize it is permissible, even legal, for you to practice the interview, how and what you are going to say. Learn to tell a story about how you can bring value to the company, using your own background or experience. Tell it in an engaging way in two minutes…can you do that?

Give me an applicant who knows how to lead with this statement—”I have been doing some research into your company and here is how I can help…”—and if what comes next is engaging, interesting, on point and is delivered well, chances are pretty good they will be in our lineup.

Don’t find yourself saying later, as Yogi was quoted, “I really didn’t say everything I said.”