Recently, I have had more hope of getting job in recent months. I’ve put a lot of thought into creating a personal brand that helps me stand out from the rest of my competition. Here are some things that might help you get the upper hand on your competition. I can’t say that everything will work but I think that marketing yourself is the first step to getting noticed.
- Buy a domain with your name in it. Preferrably with your first and last name. This can have yourfirstlastname.com, .net, or .org. If your not sure how to do it you could also get a blog through soemthing like wordpress.com, blogger.com, typepade.com or tumblr.com. Each are respected blogging sites.
- Create a Social Presence. This is a great way to show up if your potential employer is looking for you. It doesn’t have to look like Twitter or Facebook but somewhere your peers and potential employers might see you. Twitter and Facebook though are highly indexed and are easy to show up in search results.
- Brand Yourself. Treat yourself as a brand and get things like a logo, business cards, stationary, and other products that will help you stand out. Pick up social profiles so that your name appears for more search results. Namechk has a large list of social profiles with a search query which will tell you if your name is taken or not.
- If you are out of work find a nonprofit you can work for that will help you continue your experience. Nonprofits need help and are often open to having someone help out. Keeping active will help you not fall completely behind in the business world. I personally have volunteered for things like the Portland Social Media Club and a nonprofit as well.
- Networking. It is all in who you know. The more people the better. Go to things that you can connect with other business people. You will never know who you might meet that ends up being your new boss or helped you get an interview. Use Meetup to find people and interest groups that you can relate to.
- Learn. Learning is an essential part to keeping your skill current. Even if you are employed learning will help step forward in your career. The problem is your family, coworkers, boss, and friends may not be on board with the time it takes to learn. So carve out time that will help continue your skill training.
What things are you finding helpful in making you stand out to employers? Have you had any success that you would like to share.