A 2018 survey undertaken by employment site CareerBuilder revealed that 66 percent of employers research job candidates online, while an estimated 57 percent of employers refused to hire candidates due to the content and professional image (or lack of it) on the social media pages of potential hires.
The research results were shocking and frighteningly uncomfortable. The study, which surveyed 1,000 respondents (a mix of hiring managers and HR professionals), thoroughly demonstrated that employers rely heavily on insights from your online presence and use this this to inform their next steps in the sifting process.
As it turns out, building and polishing your personal brand isn’t just for entrepreneurs and social media influencers. Your personal brand image online is an indispensable asset to your career growth trajectory, especially given the fact that since the pandemic, 93 percent of employers are conducting remote interviews, which means they will be taking greater care to research you beforehand.
Here are three reasons you should consider building a solid online personal brand presence:
Future-proofing your career against layoffs
While it is impossible to predict or control whether you will be in the next round of layoffs or not, you certainly can control how much these unforeseen events impact you and your career future. The best way to mitigate against the ramifications of being laid off is to start establishing your personal brand toolkit now. Don’t wait until your job is at risk before you decide to pay attention to your online brand; it will take much longer and be harder to get back on track if you leave it too long.
Some key elements of your personal brand toolkit to consider:
- Keep your resume updated regularly with any new achievements or experiences at work
- Upload your resume to job boards and keep executive head-hunters aware that you are passively looking for work
- Build your LinkedIn profile completely
- Be actively engaged on LinkedIn every week as a minimum
- Consider your persona and your messaging whenever posting online; remember it’s not all fun and games; racist slurs, derogatory language, or defamatory behavior testify against your character, raise doubts about you in a potential employer’s mind, and are inexcusable. Watch your online footprint.
Competitive advantage
Possessing a clean, professional track across all social media accounts and online records, as far as you can control, encourages employers to trust in your ethics and character. But tailoring and polishing it creatively and with intentionality is what will give you competitive advantage in today’s saturated job market, especially when negotiating salaries and benefits. Take time to today to ask yourself,
“Who would my target employer be if I was unemployed?”
“What industry do they operate in?”
“What role do I see myself working in if I was to be laid off or this employer does not work out?”
“What is the messaging I want to relay to others about my professionalism and in-depth expertise in my industry?”
Your personal brand presence online is your USP as a potential job candidate. In the same CareerBuilder study, employers weighted the following data which led them to hiring a candidate (you can read the full results of what they uncovered here):
- Background information supported professional qualifications for the job: 37 percent
- Candidate demonstrated creativity: 34 percent
- Professional image: 33 percent
- Displayed a wide range of interests: 31 percent
- Personality/company culture fit: 31 percent
- Excellent communication skills: 28 percent
- Other people posted glowing remarks online about the candidate: 23 percent
- Candidate engaged with company’s social media accounts: 22 percent
Your online personal brand builds credibility
A Trustpilot survey of 1,200 consumers across multiple generations and regions around the world, revealed that 66 percent of people are more likely to purchase from someone when they come backed with social proof.
Social proof is relayed in the form of reviews, testimonials, and most importantly, in an era where almost everything is tracked via the web—online. The more you establish yourself as an expert in your field across online platforms, the more you will gain trust as a credible expert from potential partners, clients, and investors, thus paving the way for more career opportunities.
This also includes backlinks—partner with others who are more established online so you can have more exposure, coverage, and social trust that redirects visitors to your own website, social media profile, etc.
So, while you may not be an entrepreneur or significant business leader yet, there’s still absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t invest in building your personal brand and cleaning your footprint online. If you want to define yourself as a leading voice and a trusted authority in your field, commanding the best salaries and world-class opportunities, start now with a notepad and the questions above, and begin to re-define your online image.
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