How Women Job Seekers Use Personal Branding
by EmployDiversity
Diversity is a hot workplace topic, particularly when it comes to gender bias and the gender pay gap. Women have unique challenges when it comes to overcoming gender-based hurdles in their job search. Establishing a great personal brand through social media is one tactic that can help women be more successful in finding their next position.
Personal Branding
One way to set yourself apart from the competition is to have an identifiable personal brand. During the interview process, many employers will look at your social media profiles to get to know you better. Strong personal branding helps you to make a great first impression.
When creating your brand focus on highlighting your key strengths. Emphasize the things that make you different and the personal and professional attributes that make you a top performer. You should also consider how your personal brand can convey information about yourself. If you graduated from a particular school or are a member of professional groups, these affiliations help form your personal brand.
When you’ve got a clear idea of your personal brand, critique it. You should focus on keeping it succinct and memorable. You can ask friends, family, and colleagues to help you fine-tune it. Just remember to ask people who you can trust to provide honest feedback.
Once your personal brand is ready to go, there are some key ways to put it into practice:
LinkedIn is the most professional and career-focused of all the social media channels. LinkedIn currently has over 500 million users and it provides a huge opportunity for you to grow your network. To get the most out of LinkedIn, you’ll want to invest some time completing your profile, growing your network, joining groups, and getting recommendations. If you see a job advertised, don’t just apply. Reach out to your LinkedIn connections for advice, information, and introductions to people inside the company.
Similar to LinkedIn, many employers use Facebook to place job advertisements. If you’re looking for a new opportunity, you can do more than just apply to a job ad. If you let your Facebook network know that you’re looking for new opportunities, they may be able to make referrals or offer advice. Note that a public Facebook post doesn’t come without risks. Tread carefully if you’re currently employed and don’t want your current employer to know you’re in the job market.
Instagram can be a great channel for establishing your personal brand, particularly if you work in a creative field. Instagram can also be a good resource for getting the inside scoop on organizations. Check the profiles of employers to get a feel for the culture and see how you might be a good fit.
YouTube
Another social media channel that can allow you to showcase your creative efforts is YouTube. Videos can be a great way to demonstrate work samples, your personality, or your communication skills.
Twitter can be an excellent tool for networking, but it’s limited in terms of the information you can share. Twitter can be used to keep up to date with company news and events and as a first point of contact with recruiters or hiring managers. Using hashtags and keywords can be helpful in your job search.
There are a lot of great social media channels to assist in your job search. Before engaging with people and growing your network, be sure to establish a strong personal brand. Your personal brand can be used strategically to help with your job search and career progression.
