This document outlines 7 steps for creating a personal brand as a job seeker: 1) Determine values and passions, 2) Define key traits, 3) Develop a personal image, 4) Define a target audience, 5) Build an online presence, 6) Start blogging, 7) Follow experts in the field. It emphasizes that personal branding is unavoidable online through social media and encourages job seekers to evaluate what message their online profiles send to potential employers.

1. PERSONAL BRANDING
“DEFINING OURSELVES”

2. IN JOB SEARCH
PERSONAL BRANDING IS UNAVOIDABLE
WE BRAND OURSELVES ON…
• TWITTER
• LINKEDIN
• SNAPCHAT
• FACEBOOK
• INSTAGRAM
• ETC. ETC.
WE DO THIS WHEN WE…
• SHARE PICTURES
• UPLOAD VIDEOS
• ‘LIKE’ SOMEONE’S PAGE
• MAKE COMMENTS ON A PAGE
• CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT ONLINE
• ETC. ETC.

3. WHAT MESSAGE ARE YOU
SENDING ABOUT YOU?
GOOGLE YOURSELF & SEE…

4. ENTER 1ST NAME,
LAST NAME ,
CITY & STATE
WHERE LAST
LIVED/WORKED

5. ASK YOURSELF,
WHEN AN
EMPLOYER
SEES THIS WILL
THEY BE
IMPRESSED?

6. REALITY CHECK…

7. WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION…
Don’t give up!
Instead, WAKE-UP!!!

8. 7 STEPS TO CREATING A PERSONAL
BRAND
AS A JOB SEEKER

9. STEP ONE:
DETERMINE &
PRIORITIZE YOUR
VALUES AND
PASSIONS
VALUES: VALUES ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU
BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT IN THE WAY YOU
LIVE AND WORK. THEY ARE AT THE CORE OF
WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND DETERMINE
YOUR PRIORITIES. SOME EXAMPLES OF VALUES
INCLUDE FRIENDS, FAMILY, HONESTY,
COMMUNITY, AMBITION, ETC. WHEN FACED
WITH DIFFICULT DECISIONS, YOU TYPICALLY
RELY ON YOUR DEEPEST-HELD VALUES.
PASSIONS: PASSIONS ARE THE WAYS YOU
ENJOY SPENDING YOUR TIME. GENERALLY,
THESE ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR VALUES,
THOUGH THEY MAY SOMETIMES OVERLAP. TO
BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND, YOU MUST
FIRST IDENTIFY YOUR PASSIONS - BOTH
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL.
PROFESSIONAL PASSIONS MIGHT INCLUDE
TECHNOLOGY, AUTOMATION AND DESIGN,
WHILE PERSONAL PASSIONS MIGHT INCLUDE
KAYAKING, FAMILY, AND GOLFING.

10. STEP TWO:
DEFINE YOUR
KEY TRAITS
WHAT HELPS YOU STAND OUT
FROM THE CROWD? THESE
ELEMENTS ARE YOUR UNIQUE
TRAITS, AND THEY HELP SHAPE
YOUR PERSONAL IDENTITY.
THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY
TRAITS ARE IDENTIFIED AS :
• OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE
• CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
• EXTRAVERSION
• AGREEABLENESS
• NEUROTICISM

11. STEP THREE:
DEVELOP YOUR
PERSONAL
IMAGE
• HAVE PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOTS TAKEN
AND USE THEM ON LINKEDIN, IN YOUR
COMPANY PROFILE, ETC.
• CULTIVATE AN EMAIL SIGNATURE THAT’S
UNIQUE TO YOU. (USE YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL
IF YOU CAN’T EDIT THE EMAIL SIGNATURE
YOU USE FOR YOUR COMPANY). INCLUDE ALL
OF YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, YOUR
SIGNATURE, YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS,
YOUR COMPANY AND YOUR WEBSITE.
• BUILD CREDIBILITY WITH CONTENT. USE
YOUR PERSONAL BLOG, LINKEDIN PROFILE OR
PUBLISHING TOOLS LIKE MEDIUM TO GET
YOUR MESSAGE OUT ON TOPICS YOU ARE
KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT.
• DRESS THE PART! STAY PREPARED FOR
NETWORKING EVENTS AND BIG MEETINGS BY
KEEPING A FRESH BLAZER AND PANTS OR
SKIRT PRESSED AND READY TO GO.

12. STEP FOUR: DEFINE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE EVERYONE LIKE YOU, SO WHY
WOULD YOU TRY TO APPEAL TO EVERYONE WHEN BUILDING
YOUR PERSONAL BRAND? DEFINING A TARGET AUDIENCE IS
IMPORTANT FOR ORGANIZATIONS, AND IT’S ALSO
IMPORTANT FOR INDIVIDUALS. THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU
WERE YOUNGER AND YOU MADE SURE TO GET REQUESTS
APPROVED FROM YOUR PARENTS WHEN THEY WERE IN A
GOOD MOOD. THIS BASIC EXAMPLE TEACHES AN
IMPORTANT LESSON; IT’S BEST TO INVEST YOUR TIME AND
ENERGY INTO AN AUDIENCE THAT IS MORE LIKELY TO GIVE
YOU YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME.

13. MILITARY BRAND

14. STEP FIVE: BUILD
YOUR ONLINE
PRESENCE
FROM TWITTER TO PODCASTS, BLOGS
TO FACEBOOK, TO ESTABLISH YOUR
PERSONAL BRAND, YOU MUST GET
YOUR VOICE OUT THERE. FIRST, YOU
MUST SECURE URLS, SOCIAL
USERNAMES, ETC. THAT ARE THE
BEST FIT FOR YOUR BRAND BEFORE
SOMEONE ELSE DOES! THIS INCLUDES
BOTH YOUR PERSONAL WEBSITE AND
ANY SOCIAL NETWORKS YOU CHOOSE
TO JOIN.
“FREE”
PROFESSIONA
L WEBSITE

15. STEP SIX: START
BLOGGING!
MANY MARKETERS CONSIDER BLOGGING TO BE
THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A BUSINESS, BUT THEY
CAN ALSO BE INFLUENTIAL WHEN BUILDING A
PERSONAL BRAND.
SOME OF THE BEST STRATEGIES FOR GAINING
FOLLOWERS INCLUDE:
WRITING ABOUT INFLUENCERS AND GETTING
THEM TO SHARE YOUR POSTS
USING SOCIAL SHARING BUTTONS ON YOUR BLOG
JOINING THE RIGHT ONLINE COMMUNITIES
SYNDICATING YOUR CONTENT
REPURPOSING YOUR CONTENT

16. STEP SEVEN:
FOLLOW IN THE
FOOTSTEPS OF AN
EXPERT
WHO DO YOU ADMIRE INSIDE OR
OUTSIDE OF THE MARKETING
INDUSTRY?
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A ‘BEST
PRACTICE’ MINE THAT IF YOU EVER
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO DO
SOMETHING, IDENTIFY THOSE THAT
ARE HAVING SUCCESS WITH IT AND
FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM TO
TEACH YOU.

17. THE MORAL
OF THE
STORY IS…

18. THANK YOU
FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY
TO BE OF
SERVICE