In a world that is dominated by social media, and advertising being thrust into your news feed, onto your TV screen, over the radio and everywhere in between, it’s apparent that companies are vying for every ounce of attention they can get their hands on. Now, I’m sure some of you have heard the statement; “It’s all about building your own personal brand.” How does that fit in with leveraging job opportunities on LinkedIn? Well, just like the companies that want more attention, so do people.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to set yourself apart from people, especially when applying for jobs. How do you make myself stand out from the rest and give yourself the best chance of landing the job? Build a personal brand. Both online and offline. Now, how do you go about that?
LinkedIn is probably the best-suited platform to begin building a professional brand (just don’t do these things). The platform is extremely powerful when it comes to being able to connect with people in similar industries. If you’re serious about building a personal brand on LinkedIn, its important your profile is thoroughly completed i.e. your work experience, education, and make sure your bio is well written and highlights some key things that you’re awesome at.
Then it comes down to engaging with key people in your industry, as well as engaging on topics that pop up in your news feed – obviously one should only engage if they have a grasp of the topic. And of course, LinkedIn provides a plethora of opportunity when it comes to talks and events that are happening in your city – some may not be related to your industry but, you’re bound to find a few that do. This is where the magic happens. Attending these events puts you in front of the same people who you have connected with on LinkedIn in your industry and it comes down to a simple; “Hi, I’m John. We connected on LinkedIn and have engaged on a few topics before.” This one line can open up many doors, whether its a job opportunity or business partnership. This is why it’s important to maintain an online brand and an offline brand – you can start to become a key player in your industry just based off of being a person who provides quality insights on LinkedIn, and networks with various people at events.
You may be thinking that this could be a long process, but you can start immediately by posting articles on LinkedIn, connecting with like-minded individuals, engaging on various topics, and attending your first event. If you keep that up, and you’re seeking job opportunities, someone, somewhere on LinkedIn will be able to provide you with a sense of direction, or they may be the one’s hiring! I encourage everyone to rather spend their time leveraging LinkedIn than scrolling aimlessly through Facebook catching up on the latest gossip from Hollywood – you’ll be much better for it and will be setting yourself up to land that job you’ve always wanted!
