Building a personal brand using LinkedIn

What is a personal brand? A personal brand is the practice in which people market themselves and their careers as a brand. it is the establishment of a image or impression in the mind of others of who you are, what you do, and what/who you represent.

Why do you need to develop a personal brand? helps people remember you. People don’t remember names, but they remember what you made them feel. Values, motivations, and behaviors Helps with Job search Helps with Career advancement

How do you create a personal brand? You don’t ”create” a personal brand because you already have one. Be authentic Be clear about who you want to portray as a person and a professional Rethink your values and behaviors Have a consistent brand message across all platforms

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a social networking site designed for the business community. The site allows you to establish a large network of people you know professionally. It is a platform to showcase your personal brand. It can be seen as an online resume.

6 steps to building your personal brand on LinkedIn Add a professional portrait with an appropriate background Write a informative and punchy headline Construct a concise summary about who you are Fill in your education, experience, courses, languages, volunteer experience, and more Make connections to build a strong professional network Add skills and ask for recommendation

Step 1: Add a professional portrait with an appropriate background Do’s Do obtain a professional self-portrait Do dress up in business attire Do have a simple, nice background Don’ts Don’t post selfies Don’t post pictures with others such as family, friends, or pets Don’t post pictures with distraction in the background

Step 2: Write a informative and punchy headline DO HAVE A SHORT, MEMORABLE PROFESSIONAL LINE DESCRIBING YOUSELF I.E. MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SEEKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR HAVE A CONCISE WORKING TITLE OF YOUR POSITION WITH COMPANY YOU ARE WORKING FOR. I.E. “MARKETING MANAGER AT TECHNOLOGY & VENTURE COMMERICIALIZATION” DON’T AVOID CLICHES SUCH AS “MARKETING GURU/SEO GURU” DON’T LEAVE THE HEADLINE BLANK PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HEADLINE GET SEARCHED AND VIEWED MORE.

Step 3: Construct a concise summary about who you are A concise summary should include the following: Your experience, your qualifications, your goals, and your skills (this describes you as a professional) your passions, your strengths, your interests, and more (this describes you as an individual.)

Step 4: Fill in your education, experience, courses, languages, volunteer experience, and more When filling out these sections, keep in mind, what makes you stand out from the rest? Questions to ask myself: What expertise do I bring to the table? What did I learn from my position at that organization? What did I accomplish? This gives others the ability to see what you have been involved in and what you are capable of. This helps Recruiters and hiring managers better identify your skillsets and determine if you are a good fit for their company based on first impressions of your abilities.

Step 5: Make connections to build a strong professional network Begin to browse around and explore other’s profiles Find people who you aspire to be and learn from their experiences Connect with them and ask to be mentored or any other opportunities they may offer For higher acceptance, personalize your invitation with your intentions of connecting. Unlike facebook, you can add people you don’t know, but are interested in adding them into your professional network.

Step 6: Add skills and ask for recommendations Add your own set of specialized skills I.e. If you are entrepreneur, you can add skills such as “innovation, entrepreneurship, startups, venture capital, product development, and more.” Once you have added your skills, you can message people who can endorse your skills. This give you credibility. Ask for recommendations Connect with people you have worked with closely and those who can speak about your skills request for them to recommend you. They can write a short summary about you and what you offer.

Go & create a LinkedIn profile And Start building your personal brand! Www.linkedin.com

Questions or concerns?

Thank you If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me @ stephanie.yu@tvc.utah.edu