This document discusses how to use social media to build a personal brand that helps with job searching. It recommends establishing a LinkedIn profile, joining industry groups, and following experts on Twitter to network and showcase knowledge. Managing your online brand involves using a consistent professional photo, monitoring online mentions, framing content to project the right image, and keeping other social media PG-rated. A case study shows how blogging about science helped a student connect with influential writers and land an interview. Overall, the key is setting goals, identifying influencers, connecting with them authentically, and continually promoting yourself online in a positive way.

1. Social Media and
the Job Search
Harrisburg University Class Discussion
with Rachel Strella
www.strellasocialmedia.com

2. Today, We’ll Cover:
Personal Branding
Social Media & the Job Search
Tips to Manage Your Brand
Case Study
Build Your Personal Brand

3. Personal Branding

4. Personal Branding
Branding:
Corporate vs. Personal

5. Personal Branding
Personal Brands Gone Bad

6. Personal Branding
What Does It Mean for the Job Search?

7. Personal Branding
→ Creating a positive personal
brand can only help your job
search
→ A negative personal brand
could potentially disqualify
you from a job

8. Personal Branding
A strong potential hire typically has:
→ Professional dress
→ Clear communication
→ A set of skills/knowledge that
others do not

9. Personal Branding
YOU have an advantage because:
→ You can start now!
→ Position yourself in a positive
light/frame brand
→ Connect with and build your
community

10. Social Media
& the Job Search

11. Social Media & the Job Search
How Can You Use Social Media to
Network your Way Into a Job?

12. Social Media & the Job Search
→ Establish a LinkedIn profile
→ Connect with those who can
attest for your skills
→ If you are doing any volunteer or
community service work, be
sure to list that on your profile

13. Social Media & the Job Search
→ Join groups of the industries you
would like to be a part of
→ Start a blog to showcase your
knowledge and experience in an
area of study
→ Follow industry experts on
Twitter – this is a great way to
monitor the pulse of a field

14. Managing Your
Online Brand

15. Managing Your Online Brand
→ Have a strong professional
photo and be consistent about
using it across the web
→ Sign up for Google alerts
(google.com/alerts) to receive a
notification when you’re
mentioned online

16. Managing Your Online Brand
→ Decide what you want your
Google search engine results to
reveal
→ Frame content – voice and
message – to align with the
image you want to project

17. Managing Your Online Brand
→ Establish a strong, consistent
presence on relevant media -
don’t try do it all
→ Follow and connect with key
players in your industry
→ If you’re a strong writer, blog!

18. Managing Your Online Brand
Keep your Facebook
Page G-rated!

19. A Case Study

20. A Case Study
→ The Location: The University of
Wisconsin
→ The Class: Building a Personal
Brand with Blogging and Social
Media
→ The Timeframe: 16 weeks
→ The Student: Erin Podolak

21. A Case Study
→ Step #1: Establish a Clear Goal
→ Erin’s goal: Gain the attention of
a larger audience as she neared
graduation
→ Stretch goal: Gain recognition
from Scientific American

22. A Case Study
→ Step #2: Identify Influencers
→ Erin’s Influencer: Bora Zivkovic,
blog editor at Scientific
American

23. A Case Study
→ Step #3: Identify How to
Connect with Influencers
→ Erin’s Plan:
→ Lay the groundwork with
Twitter and Blogging
→ Follow and connect with
science writers, including her
‘Influencer’

24. A Case Study
→ Step #4: Blog to Offer Value and
Promote Self
→ Erin’s Blog:
→ Called “Science Decoded”
→ Content strategy: show people
what she can do
→ Link to goal: Science blogging
community very active;
connect w/power players

25. A Case Study
→ Step #5: Assess Results
→ Erin’s Results:
→ Received an email from Bora
inquiring if she would like to be
featured in an interview piece
dedicated to new and young
science writers
→ YES, goal achieved!

26. Build Your
Personal Brand

27. Build Your Personal Brand
What’s YOUR personal brand and
how will you use social media to
make it work for you?

28. Build Your Personal Brand
→ Step #1: Establish a clear,
specific goal
What will success look like?
→ Step #2: Identify influencers to
connect with
→ Step #3: Identify how to connect
with influencers
Choose tools and messages

29. Build Your Personal Brand
→ Step #4: Do the work to get
recognized and build meaningful
professional relationships
→ Step #5: Learn to self-moderate
to determine if you are getting
closer or farther from your goals

30. Build Your Personal Brand
→ Share your personal branding
work with me – and with my
LinkedIn group: Personal Brand
Management
bit.ly/personalbrandgroup

31. Questions

32. Website and Blog:
StrellaSocialMedia.com
Facebook:
Facebook.com/StrellaSocialMedia
Twitter:
Twitter.com/RachelStrella
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn.com/in/RachelStrella
Connections and Resources