Many times over, educators ask us how are corporations responding to online personal branding? Why should we consume class time to teach this agenda? How does it help foster career success? This is the first in a multi-part series covering the WHY as it relates to the online personal branding agenda.
Months ago, I spoke to Kirsti Stubbs, a recruiter with Starbucks Canada. You can check out what she has to say about scouting for candidates within the social media spectrum at this link.
This month, I sat down with Eliot Burdett, a partner with Peak Sales Recruiting. Eliot is a Partner and a very active blogger himself. He and his team make extensive use of the Internet to source and learn about prospective candidates they bring to employers. Eliot shares his views on how a candidate can truly differentiate themselves with an online presence. He also offers candid views on common mistakes people make when they interact online and apply for jobs.
Last night, Patti and I dropped into a BobCat concert – our first! We were very keen to check out two hugely talented musicians we had met earlier in their careers. Three years back, both Amanda Rheume and Tara Holloway had just committed to starting their careers as professional musicians.
We were absolutely blown away at the talent we saw last night. Both of these women and the legendary Jeff Logan (lead guitar) simply blew the crowd out of the water. What I found so inspiring was their humility, support for each other and personal commitment to success in what they love doing best – performing!
These three are putting in their time and doing their share of road trips. I have no doubt these musicians will find their place amongst a broader base of audiences. They continue to learn, create and build their respective brands through performing, producing and getting out there amongst us.
Students thinking about their passion core should make sure they follow the path that gives them such passion and unbridled commitment. When you come across someone with such focus and passion, it is not hard to root for them and share their music and stories. Check them out!
A recent study from Edison Research in the US just announced that the level of familiarity of Facebook and Twitter are almost the same at 87% and 86% respectively. The big difference falls in the area of application. Although the majority of those that are familiar with Facebook also know how to use the social network, very few, just 7%, feel that they are actively using Twitter properly.
Given the numbers and the questions we keep being asked by faculty, admin, and students alike, it’s time for another pitch for Twitter.
People’s first reactions include ‘why bother’, ‘I don’t get it’, ‘what’s going on’, and ‘I already using _______’. At the beginning, Twitter is confusing, different, and looks like a big waste of time. But just like exercise, you have to make a commitment to get results.
Twitter can be used;
To learn – The Twitterverse is all about sharing. Once you connect and start to follow people you will start see a constant stream of information from like-minded people and subject matter specialists.
To stay up to date – Twitter is instant information. World events of all sorts will be reported faster on Twitter then any other media.
To promote events – There is a constant stream of events that are being announced, linked to and promoted on Twitter.
To connect with like minds – Connect with people that are talking about the same topics that are of interest to you. You can share information with them, add to conversations, and connect for partnership opportunities.
To communicate – Twitter is a direct communication channel that can be used publicly or privately. The advantage of public chats is that others can chime in and add thoughts, resources, or links that add to the conversation. You can also quickly jump into a private conversation where you can share emails or phone numbers for more detail.
You have to decide what kind of commitment you are going to make to Twitter. It also helps if you start to see the value of it. I have expanded my local network with Twitter, participated in several amazing events, connected and lectured in a class in Nevada, promoted events, have had contacts lecture in my class through video from Toronto, and next week I start sailing, all because of Twitter.
I’m strengthening my Twitter muscle and continue to get results that make the commitment worthwhile. However, it took a commitment upfront to get some momentum and find the value. I strongly suggest you give Twitter some time and attention. It will open up new doors if you take the time to knock on them.
Most recently, Techcrunch highlighted a security hole in Facebook that would enable your chat sessions to be viewed by your friends. Shocker!
For those that believe what you send to friends or post to sections of a web site will stay private…don’t count on it. Fast moving software companies, faulty software components and copying and pasting are surefire causes of your data showing up in the wrong place.
A word of advice?
Assume anything you type, post or share will be viewed by anyone. Counting on Facebook or any software to be 100% secure, is simply a bad idea. Someone could easily copy and paste your post to another blog.
Follow the golden rule – don’t post content that you would NOT say to people on the street, at work or at school. By following this rule, you will be able to sleep at night and NOT miss out on professional or personal opportunities downstream.
