Since August or so I’ve had people reaching out asking how to start building their brand. For whatever reason they are realizing that they need to establish a presence online.
- Some have been laid off & are considering new options.
- Some would like to work in social media & community building.
- Some realize that they need to create an online presence
Last spring I was in the same position. Because I work remotely my options were really limited. It took me awhile to rethink the whole concept and I’ll admit that I had help from friends. For awhile I was applying for 2-3 jobs a day with no response. I must admit that a major web 2.0 company asked if I’d move to San Francisco, but that wasn’t an option. It was disheartening. (And to my friend who recently emailed me with your news of not getting your position, this post is for you).
For me, it took a lot of talking out loud to rethink things. It’s so important to invest in yourself. And if you’re looking for a position then TELL potential employers that. Now is a better time than ever to be thinking outside the box. This is going to sound really odd, but I have experienced tipping points in a number of areas:
- my social networking has gone through phases & now is building on it’s own – I no longer wonder where all my new Twitter & FB followers come from – I am just thankful
- my personal branding is something I do automatically without thought
- work opportunities now come to me (but I believe that I have planted seeds)
So what are the secrets?
1. a personal advisory board that you trust – only when you share your fears can others help you – choose people that you can give back things to – time is a commodity
2. social networking – hang out with like minded people – is it LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc? But you HAVE to get involved! that’s imperative
3. blogging – you need to establish a presence – what makes you unique & what value will you provide? This is about YOUR brand & what you bring to the company
4. lifelong learning – always keep learning – that makes you flexible & more employable.
5. when you network with people tell them what type of work you’d like Find reasons to network with potential employers.
- Interview them about what their business is about.
- Do volunteer work for them. Help them get to know YOU
- Be interested in their business. Become knowledgeable about the industry
- Evangelize in what you believe in – people will notice you
- Work hard & show that you’re not afraid of digging in
In the last month people have been asking me how many hours a day I work. The truth is that I’m online from 7:30 am to 10-11 pm with 1-2 hrs break during the day. In the morning personal work takes about an hour and in the evening I sometimes work or do personal/professional work. Remember that my daughter is in college, so I have an empty nest.
In regard to my time, there have been a few occasions when I’ve gotten of the phone and my husband would say, were you getting paid for that or not? Most of the time I wasn’t. But in the long run, my advising has now ended up causing a new problem of needing to learn to say ‘no’ (which is another blog post).
My friend & one of my mentors in the branding area wrote a great article on this topic:
The Real Way to Get a Job using Social Media by Dan Schawbel
If you’ve recently found a job leave a comment with your story.
re: my previous tweet, that was a nice post from @cbensen http://tinyurl.com/6fyn4u
Nice post by @conniebensen on creating your own opportunities http://tinyurl.com/6fyn4u
Hi Connie,
Great article. I particularly liked the “Work hard & show that you’re not afraid of digging in” part. Creating opportunities requires persistence and hard work.
Very useful article! Treating yourself like a brand with an advisory board–best tip I’ve heard lately!
Great post, Connie. I haven’t found a job using SM, but I have uncovered a few consulting engagements using FB, Twitter, blogs, etc. I just recently launched a blog that will enable me to evangelize about internal communications, social media and communications strategy. And I plan to “point” to these posts, or nuggets of information, from Twitter, FB and other social media sites. Like you said, position yourself as an expert and folks will come to you. I’m already seeing that play out… Hope to meet soon face-to-face at an SMB or other networking event in the TC.
Great post Connie.
Having a strong support group that understands your situation has been greatly beneficial to me and my position of being laid off. They’ve supported me personally and professional and have even helped me reach out to companies as well. I couldn’t imagine going through this process without them and am very thankful for that.
If you don’t have this? Step out of the box and reach out to people. Like Connie said, people are completely willing to help and will do so if you connect with them.
Thanks so much Connie ;) I, too, am honored to have such a great group of people who teach and support without blinking. These past two years of really diving into different kinds of social media have been so rewarding. So, thank you and all the others who have knowlingly/unknowingly taken me by the hand and encouraged me to be better.
Advice to all: You can’t do it without help, but YOU need to get involved and give back whenever you can.
[…] long ago I wrote about the importance of creating opportunities for yourself. And this is true whether you’re seeking a job or not. And each day should include […]
[…] with individuals who are in the process of reinventing themselves. My philosophy is that you can ‘Create your own Opportunities’. Rachel shared her story on how she used resources on my blog to help her find a job. (It’s a […]