But Even My Fellow Recruiters Don't Get Personal Branding...

okay. so, it's not easy seeing one of your own kind in the news and "highlighted" (for all intents and purposes) as another group or profession that's being hit hard by unemployment. i mean it's logical, sure - there are less jobs to be filled so recruiters have less work to do... but it still isn't easy reading about unemployed recruiters - in the NEW YORK TIMES for Christ sake. i mean really! the new york times! { sigh. }

i have to confess something though - not even before finishing the first paragraph, where they named a recruiter... i  Googled her. and i couldn't find much beyond her LinkedIn profile so i double checked Twitter. and i found nothing. i then checked Facebook and found 15 possibilities giving her the benefit of the doubt on that one. and lastly, i checked recruitingblogs.com. nada. and before i could even finish the article, all i could think was... she must not be doing any social media recruiting (so how savvy could she be? ouch. i know... but come on, wouldn't you think the same thing?) but beyond that, she must not be doing ANYTHING about her personal brand in the social media space - and what a shame, especially as a job seeker! i'm sorry to say this, because i know it sounds b!tchy - but, maybe she might be employed or more employable if she had a social media footprint. feel me on that one? and yes, fair enough - simply having a social media presence and using it to enhance your personal brand doesn't guarantee you a job... but really, it couldn't hurt if you're branding yourself in a savvy way, right?

the article continued on and other recruiters were also highlighted - and keep in mind, these are all Silicon Valley recruiters and so i do assume this means their fairly tech savvy folks. but still, i couldn't find any of them on any social media sites. how disappointing! even our very own kind really aren't "getting" the power of social media for your personal brand when now is precisely the time to do whatever you can to set yourself apart and gain a competitive advantage... oh, and yes, there's that whole networking piece of it too. but if you're someone i know professionally and you're reading this, i don't need to lecture you because you clearly "get" it. for my other readers though... for any job seekers, my friends or family, establishing and leveraging your personal brand for the sake of your career? you've gotta do it and here's seven tips for getting started:

1. start stalking but don't get caught. a good place to begin with establishing your personal brand is sitting back and seeing what others are doing and how they are doing it. so, go ahead. stalk them. personal branding boils down to marketing yourself. learn from marketing pros who are general marketing strategists, and then also learn from  those within your industry or space who are doing it well.
   
2. establish a footprint, pronto. if you're not ready to jump right in, okay. that's understandable. but at least go and reserve your name on social networks so that when you are ready to jump in, no one will have stolen it from you. just register. go to Twitter, Facebook, your blogging platform of choice, LinkedIn and reserve your user name. these are the places i recommend you start. you could also reserve your name on other sites like Youtube, Vimeo, and through business/fan/personality pages of Facebook.
   
3. stay simple and be consistent. use a consistent name and a uniform picture across all platforms, and use your real name or a simple and professional version of your name. even i'm not great at this, i'll admit it - i use "jessica lee" everywhere i can but before jumping into the blogosphere professionally, i used my Korean name "surbee" everywhere and i still need to consolidate or change my user name on some sites.
   
4. don't whore yourself out. sure, i said to go sign up for all those sites, but, you don't have to be everywhere. seriously. you have individual and group blogs. you have professional associations and other industry communities with their own social networks. you have Twitter, and Facebook, and Youtube... you can't be everywhere, and you shouldn't be everywhere. it's better to have a strong voice that contributes quality matter to conversations in a few forums rather than being everywhere for "maximum exposure." plus, if you're everywhere, people will wonder... do you do any actual work if you're spending all of your time on social networks? don't spread yourself thin.
   
5. find someone to pimp you out. find a mentor. find a more established voice or persona in social media for your industry, and get to know them. start with stalking, but then gradually try to build a relationship and let them be your champion. people in the social media world are generally pretty supportive of one another and love to help new and emerging voices find their way. be part of social media communities and take advantage of the communities.
   
6. clean up your act. you more than likely already have a Facebook page and in establishing your personal brand, you'll expand into other places... make sure you clean your act up and are presentable on all fronts. (or, consider two completely separate user names/personas and don't even mix personal with professional). i'll blog more next month perhaps on monitoring your online reputation.
   
7. don't be too cute, don't be too silly. social media and social networking is... social. it's about conversations and communities and the very human nature of it makes it's a lot of fun. but, it's your personal brand at stake. it's what could lead you to your next job, or to professional development opportunities. you show and teach people how to treat you, you're shaping how people will see you - and more than likely, cute and silly aren't the factors your prospective employer really are interested in. too cutesy and too silly just doesn't scream professional or competent. witty and funny are still okay, but some things just don't translate well online, so use judgment.

there are folks who are professional personal branding strategists... but the first thing is to simply get started and see what and how others are doing... and then it's simply about being authentic. and if you want proof that this stuff works? well, i'm not only the president... you know that line. i'm your proof. blogging on Fistful of Talent has led me here and on Twitter among other places... and i feel like the opportunities keep come a knockin' as i keep on working on brand "me." there's something to this one folks...

Comments

[Career-Advisor]

I enjoyed this. I like your writing style.

[Dan Schawbel]

Recruiters need personal branding very bad. I appreciate the link and you point this out. Aside from using social media tools for recruitment, controlling your online identity is just as important.

[Scott Stone]

Great thoughts, Jessica. I'd go even further and suggest that this is good advice for anyone aspiring to be a "thought leader" (or otherwise seeking to distinguish themselves) in their chosen field. I also submit that now is a bit of an inflection point for the whole SM effect on businesses in general - the "post early adopter" wave is just now getting their collective toes wet.

[Catalina Talero]

Jess, admire your persistence, your professionalism, and you totally deserve the award. I voted!

[stop snoring]

I bookmarked this already dude great work

[Ink Cartridge Recycling]

I loved the way you exlained things. Much better many here

Regards

Peter

[Foreign Car Repair Raleigh]

Wonder full writing skills you got mate.

Andrew

[Raleigh Painting Services]

When is the next post comming on this topic.

Regards

Cheryl

[Furniture in North Carolina]

I digged this for more news from you.

Regards and respect

Mandy