Getting Hired in a Digital WorldBranding Yourself and Your Experience

Melissa Balsan3/20/12

Personal Branding

• No better way to demonstrate your creativity and marketing knowledge than by how you sell yourself

• You are your product!– Who are you selling yourself to?– What will resonate with this audience?– What attributes are important to them?– Which strengths do you offer?

• Like relationships, authenticity = the right match

What’s Your Personal Brand?

• Edgy• Creative• Polished• Adventurous• Casual• Formal

• These attributes show through in your digital footprint – attract or repel employers

What is Success to YOU? http://pinterest.com/melissabalsan/image-board-my-idea-of-success/

Personal Branding

• Choose images that convey your personal brand – like packaging

• Only share what’s relevant to your audience

• Be true to yourself

http://about.me/melissabalsan

What Does this Tell You?

What Does this Tell You?

What Does this Tell You?

What Does this Tell You?

What Does this Tell You?

Google Docs: Portfolio

• Make samples of work visible to potential employers/recruiters

• State the importance of your project work

• Gives you a unique URL for each asset – use to embed on LinkedIn, in resume, cover letters

http://bit.ly/melissabalsanportfolio

Back Up Digital Work• Preserves your portfolio –

blog edits, URL changes

• Allows for context – what does sample demonstrate about your skill set / value?

Examples of Work

• Include links to your best work in resume

• Engage your reader online – few print resumes at first review

Examples of Work

• Show that you are web- and digital-savvy

• Taking advantage of your resources shows creativity, self-sufficiency

• Create an immersive experience

LinkedIn

• Use LinkedIn as an extension of brand

• Include links to portfolio and best work here, too

• Display recommendations that matter

LinkedIn• Proactively manage your

reputation with widgets

• Books, presentations, groups and associations reinforce your brand

LinkedIn

• As a student, display relevant recommendations and projects

• Create folders in your portfolio to organize the type of projects

• Tim, a student, lists links to his portfolio and blog on LinkedIn

• Revise items as you gain more experience and professional connections

• Shorten a link to your portfolio using a site like bit.ly to make it easier to link to than long URL

http://www.linkedin.com/in/timmucha

Sample ‘Thank You’ Email

• Include links to call attention to your best projects or ones discussed in a call / meeting

Sample Cover Letter Email

• Support each claim with an example

• Briefly describe your projects and link to samples

• Include your professional social network profile or about.me page

Sites Mentioned – Worth Checking Out

• linkedin.com(check out mine at linkedin.com/in/melissabalsan)

• about.me(check out mine at about.me/melissabalsan)

• slideshare.net(check out mine at slideshare.net/melissakmurray)

• google docs(check out my portfolio at bit.ly/melissabalsanportfolio)

• bitly.com