Personal branding

In a world with a market in continuous evolution, it is important to develop a new skill: positioning oneself in the most credible way possible. Personal branding allows professional to analyze and outline their skills in order to identify an action plan to reach professional objectives.

The goal is to create a marketable brand, defining personal strengths including skills, characteristics and specializations. To do so, professionals frequently use marketing concepts and techniques such as brand positioning, or the ability to make a brand name synonymous with a specific talent, skills or approach that distinguishes it from its competitors.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is currently the most popular social network for professionals and one of the best ways to share professional profiles with other workers and companies in search of new talents.

For a student or recent graduate, a LinkedIn profile is a landing page take full advantage of in order to best merge educational and professional experiences, current interests and talents, presenting them in the best way possible to professionals, employers and clients. Over 20% of LinkedIn users are managers of large or multinational companies.

Another advantage of using LinkedIn is the possibility to develop a network of professional contacts that can make it easier to zero in on the types of positions job hunters are best suited for.

LinkedIn revolutionized the work of recruiting: talent selection for important companies through the online professional networks where recruiters can search by industry or skill is becoming more common every year.

Social media reputation

Employers use the Internet, including social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, to get a complete picture of candidates before making hiring decisions.

Web reputation is a strategic asset for every professional’s image. Every day, simply by navigating the web, users leave traces without even noticing. This is important to keep in mind, as previously stated, human resources teams investigate potential candidates Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.

Information available online, even if not accurate, can influence potential employers and direct their attention in unpredictable ways while searching for the right candidate to fill a position. The growing importance of web reputation monitoring means that now, more than ever, you are who Google says you are. It is therefore essential to be sure that social media profiles, on any network, are ready to be seen by recruiters. 

Some advice:

• delete images, videos, groups and links that can give the wrong impression or information to future employers
• update and check profiles regularly
• consider blocking comments, or making profiles private, only allowing access to friends

How to build a solid web reputation 

1. Profile image
   The first part of a profile that a recruiter sees is the photo. Consequently, the most important step in improving a profile’s appearance is choosing a good photo.
2. Privacy settings
   Carefully select content that is visible to the public, including recruiters. Use filters to select who can see posts and shared content.
3. 100% complete profile
   Complete profiles with relevant information that could be appealing to recruiters.
4. Details make the difference
   Efficient communication requires keywords suitable to the work environment, improving chances of appearing in a recruiter’s search results.
5. Don’t lie
   Information regarding academic and professional careers are always verified during selection processes. It is must better to choose sincere and transparent answers than get caught in a lie.
6. Choose the right posts
   Every social network has a different user base, making it important to share the right content on the right platform.
7. Discussion groups
   Actively participating in relevant discussion groups helps users come in contact with professionals in the same field,  and build a professional network.
8. Include external links
   Sharing and promoting personal projects with digital networks helps improve the quality and frequency of a user’s digital presence.
9. Build a personal network
   Through social and business networks, users can come in contact with professionals in their fields and develop personal networks to help develop their careers.
10. Don’t spam
    Pay attention to the quality and quantity of content, being sure to not send invitations with default texts.

Useful Links

• Glossario
• Atlante delle professioni