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The Pros and Cons of Creating an Online Personal Brand
The way we do business and get jobs has changed. In college, someone told me “if you aren’t on LinkedIn, you don’t exist.” In the past, the only thing someone knew about you when you applied for a job was what you said on your resume, and what they could gleam from you from your references. Now, the hiring process is anything but simple. Before you are even offered a job, employers look at your Facebook, your Twitter, your LinkedIn, and your website (if you have one). So what do you do? Do you do what many people do and cover your tracks — post little about yourself online, and keep your information private? Or do you lean into the new way business is done, and find a way to present yourself in a consistent, enticing way? Do you invest in creating an online personal brand?
Pro of Creating an Online Personal Brand — You Control the Story
By proactively building your own personal brand, you will control the story that others see. This means you can think about the kind of work you want to do, the kind of businesses connections you want to have, and build something that those people will like to see.
