Week Nine - Personal Branding

Personal branding is a concept that not everyone spends enough time thinking about while using social media.  Social media is so prevalent in today’s society that it has become second nature to the millions of people that use it everyday.  With this level of integration into our lives, we have come to view sites like Facebook and Twitter as informal conversations.  This leads to problems when people post things that portray themselves in a negative light, and that is where the idea of personal branding comes into play.

I think it is always important to keep the concept of personal branding at the forefront of your mind when posting on social media sites.  Nowadays, the first thing potential employers do before they hire someone is put their name into Google and run a search.  This leads them to that person’s Facebook page and Twitter site, and any other social media site on which they are active.  The content that is present on these sites can make or break any chance of getting a job with that company.  It is crucial that young people realize that this change has occurred and react accordingly.  I tend to think that social media users don’t realize everything they write stays on the Internet forever.  I know it took me a while to change my posting habits!

I would like to think that I do a nice job of maintaining my personal brand across my social media world.  All of my “About Me” sections on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn read the same and inform people that I am a GA in Pacific’s athletic department working in the media relations office.  Further, I make it a point to never use foul language or post any photos that contain alcohol or other inappropriate things.  I post about a variety of things that reflect my interests in the hopes that whoever is looking at these sites sees that I am a well-rounded person with a variety of interests.