How To Build Your Brand Before Beginning Your Job Search - Sterling Career Concepts

How To Build Your Brand Before Beginning Your Job Search How To Build Your Brand Before Beginning Your Job Search Forty-eight percent of employers use Google or other search engines to research candidates, according to a survey by CareerBuilder. And a report by Jobvite found that 93 percent use LinkedIn to vet candidates. Its always wise to clean up your online presence before beginning a job search. But you can combine those efforts with finding a job you actually want and attracting employers who match your interests. Identify your core values and passions Before you start building your brand, identify the core values and passions that you want to represent in your job search. Your core values might include a commitment to sustainability or integrating work with relevant volunteer programs. Next, make a list of your passions, such as mentoring others or restructuring project management processes. Identifying and promoting your core values and passions can help you find companies that you want to work with, while also making it easier for companies to see exactly what you stand for in a sea of resumes and online profiles. Monitor your online identity Make self-googling and monitoring your online presence a weekly habit. Set up a Google alert with your name to get daily updates on when your name pops up online. Knowing whats attached to your name, from social media profiles to comments on blogs, gives you control over your online presence. Its not uncommon for employers to check your credit report and deny an offer of employment over outstanding debts and bankruptcies. Unfortunately, they cant necessarily see the reason behind poor credit; mounting medical bills after an accident or inaccurate reporting by a credit bureau could be hurting your chances of that dream job just as much as if you frivolously racked up thousands in credit card debt. Use a service like LifeLock to monitor your online identity and credit. When your name and information is used to get a credit card, LifeLock can monitor the activity and stop identity theft in its tracks. The company can also help restore your credit and work toward a resolution on your behalf. Leverage LinkedIn Hang out where the recruiters are. Over 97 percent of recruiters said they use LinkedIn as a recruiting tool, according to a survey by Bullhorn. Flesh out your LinkedIn profile with an updated resume, testimonials and endorsements from your connections. Boost your connections and online reputation by joining LinkedIn groups associated with your field of expertise and give helpful answers to questions. LinkedIn also offers a blogging platform to post articles that alert your connections when you make an update. Write well-researched, detailed articles covering insights and issues in your industry. For example, if youre looking for a job as a corporate accountant, write about tax updates and saving strategies for business owners. Create an online home Claim your name online and register a domain on a registrar like Bluehost.com. If your name is John Smith, look for domains like JohnSmith.com, JohnSmith.me or JohnSmith.info. Write a bio and include a resume and your portfolio. Your portfolio could be writing clips, or a detailed list of projects youve worked on and the results. Give potential employers and recruiters the opportunity to contact you by posting your email, phone number and social media profiles in a visible area. Go the extra mile and capture leads by offering a free white paper in exchange for their email. Revamp your social media profiles Its all too easy for employers to find your personal posts, compromising photos and inappropriate comments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Clean up your social media profiles by changing your security settings to only allow friends and family to follow you and see your updates. Social media is also an innovative way to target a job you want. Spread the word that youre looking for work and ask whos hiring. Regularly check companies Facebook pages for updates and insights to fine tune your job search.