If you’re interviewing with a company that’s the least bit reputable, that hiring manager is going to Google your name. Now, unless your name is Marie Smith, the good news is that you can indirectly communicate with them via the Web and ace your interview before you even walk in the door.
With enough hard work, you can control (to an extent) what appears on the first page when someone looks you up in the main search engines. Here’s the who, what, where, when and how of branding yourself as a marketing expert online to any prospective employer:
1. A Professional Headshot is Key
By “professional,” I’m not referring to paying a photographer $1,500 for a photo shoot. (Dig deep enough on the Web and you can get a headshot for under $100.) No matter what you spend, even $50, know that an iPhone shot will have the opposite of the desired effect. (Tweet this thought.)
“Make sure that you like the photographer’s work prior to engaging him or her, and you shouldn’t have to pay over $350 for a professional headshot that you could utilize for online branding purposes,” says Michael Benabib, a veteran NYC photographer and owner of Executive Photos NYC.
2. Start a WordPress Blog
There’s nothing better than having a blog you fully control rank highly when a prospective employer Googles your name. Here’s how to create one:
Go to WordPress.com and sign up for a free WordPress account. Note that for it to be free, you will be assigned a .wordpress.com URL. If your name is Bradley Whatever, your blog will be bradleywhatever.wordpress.com. However, you can redirect your URL to a customized domain, while still using the free platform, by following these instructions (it will cost you around $18/year).
You will also want to register a separate Gmail address for your blog, as this will play a part in author rank. If you put your name in the domain, this increases the chances your blog will rank higher on a search for your name.
You should have separate pages on your blog dedicated to:
- your resume
- your social media accounts
- an about page
- a contact page
Have a focus and display your expertise in that area through your posts. After that, it’s wherever creativity takes you.
Keep in mind that WordPress takes practice, but when you have a well-written, frequently updated blog, you control what employers see when searching for you, rather than being fearful they’ll find information you’d rather keep confidential.
3. Start a Twitter Account
Once you have your blog, set up a Twitter account for sharing your posts and articles in your field.
This will increase readership on your blog, increase your Twitter followers, and display a keen ability to implement complex, professional social media campaigns. Moreover, since Twitter allows a description and link to your blog, odds rise of your blog ranking higher when employers Google your name. You can also now include a line on your LinkedIn profile and resume like, “All things marketing and social media. Marketing expert based in New York City.”
4. Set Up a Google+ Account
Google+ is the most beneficial, under-utilized social media avenue that can convey a strong online brand and catch employers’ attention. For any job seeker, Google+ has a plethora of benefits. These include author rank and having your picture appear in search results.
Author rank determines how Google rates your content and where it ranks you in the search engines when hiring managers or recruitment firms search your name. The scale starts at 0 and increases with popularity of an author.
Coming to a prospective employer with high author rank automatically increases their chances at successful search engine optimization and social media efforts, increasing your net worth to the hiring organization.
In addition, your picture will show up next to your blog: When you link your Google+ account to your blog and the recruiters or hiring managers search your name, a professional picture will appear right next to your blog on the search results.
5. Start a Facebook Account for Your Blog
Once you have the other social media facets up, it’s time to create a Facebook account for your blog. Like Google+, Facebook gives you a strong avenue to share your content with the public, increase readership and thus boost the odds of your blog and headshot coming up in the first page of search results.
6. Create a LinkedIn Account
LinkedIn, like Google+, allows you to combine your social media profiles and your blog. If you don’t have extensive work experience, you can note your blog as a position, with a link for potential employers visiting your LinkedIn account.
By joining groups relevant to your blog topic, you gain recognition and further network in the field when sharing your content.
Back to That Headshot…
Across these platforms, your professional headshot ties your image together in the employer’s mind, thus creating a brand for yourself not unlike a logo does for a company. Creating that right first impression and carrying it from platform to platform hooks in employers and keeps them positively disposed to you as they peruse your social media presence.
Hopefully, you’ve already given some thought to employers Googling you, insofar as keeping certain activities off the Web entirely. More rare is proactively using these free online tools at your disposal. You effectively set yourself apart by going this route, and you should see your job interviews and offers skyrocket as a result.
How have you optimized your social media to work behind the scenes for your job search? Share in the comments!
Image: Flickr
