Tim Bursch

As I said yesterday, job hunting and career management requires more than a resume and face to face.
If you want to do more and you want to stand out, here are several tips you can follow:

1. Know yourself and have a focus. Before you start Tweeting or Facebooking, ask yourself some tough questions.
-Who am I? (good tips here)
-What do I care about?
-What do I want to stand for?
-What is my overall brand? (am I a pc or Mac)
-What is my value proposition?

2. Develop a basic marketing strategy. Companies don’t just put products on shelves. They develop a plan for who, where, and how they will sell their new product. In the same way you can’t just put your resume out there. Think it through:
-Who is my target market?
-Where will people find me?
-How will I present myself online?

3. Start (or upgrade) your digital footprint. In marketing to you most brands have a consistent message. TV, paper, internet ads will have the same look and feel. For example, do you want to be Ms. Business on Linkedin and Party Girl on Facebook? I would suggest building a similar profile on these tools:
-Linkedin
-Facebook
-Twitter
(There are many more social networks to join that might be industry specific. These are the minimum.)

4. Be real. We all like to trust the brands that we buy and recommend right? Trust is built on authenticity, honesty, and transparency. So, be yourself.
-Have a real picture. Especially on Linkedin for job hunters.
-Use your own voice. Don’t try to impress, kiss-up, or copy. People can tell if you’re fake.
-Be a resource to other people. Help others find connections. Share your network.

5. Practice Daily. This social networking stuff takes time and effort. You can also get distracted.
-Block your time.
-Find your favorite tool and do it well.
-Consider starting a blog. (My favorite resource is Problogger)
-Comment on other people’s blogs.
-Build a resume website.
-Remember: consistency.

Check out Gary or Seth or Laura. They certainly are not you and you won’t become them in a week. But then again that’s not the point. Become you. Your next great adventure might just be around the next tweet.

What’s your tip? How are you building your brand?