‘Personal Branding’ is a term that has been popping up more and more in current discourse. Many people claim to know what it’s all about and yet many people don’t practise good personal branding.
Why?
It certainly boggles our mind that in a world where communication is instant, finding someone is a mouse click away and living takes place in two co-mingled realities (both physical and digital), people are not paying enough credence to the importance of strong self-branding!
We often hear people from opposite sides of the career spectrum saying the exact same thing: one side says “It’s too early in my career to worry about digital personal branding” and the other side says “I’m too far along in my career to worry about digital personal branding”. The reality is that whether you are a graduate or the CEO of a company, you need to build a strong personal brand, both online and off. Whether it is for career development, expanding your networks or bringing in new business, your personal brand matters.
Having an optimised LinkedIn profile is the bare minimum, so where does one go from there?
If you’re serious about enhancing your personal profile and reputation in the marketplace, having a personal website is the next step. Forbes.com recently reported that 56% of surveyed hiring managers said they are more impressed by a candidate’s personal website than any other branding tool.
Increasingly, people are searching online for information on prospective employees, prospective employers and companies or people they wish to do business with. Having a personal website will enhance your ability to show up in searches and rank higher in Google. It gives you the opportunity to control and own your digital presence and sends the message to prospective employers and potential customers that you are serious about your industry, expertise and career.
Specifically for those job hunting, because of the way modern hiring processes work, resumes need to conform to very specific details and the ability to communicate personality and identity through a resume is difficult. Having a personal website allows you the freedom to express your personality and creativity. You can show employers, customers and clients who you are, what you do and why they should engage with you.
