In today's digital age, it would be naive to think that it would be enough by just "getting by", doing your job, working for a company. With the financial turmoil, there is no such thing as a stable job, and the old saying of "studying hard and finding a career with a big company" does not hold water anymore.
With tons of mergers and acquisitions, companies going bust, it is no longer true that you can just work for a company for the rest of your life. Even though there are no world statistics on the accumulated number of jobs of the population, there is some information on the US and UK: the book “The Economics of Earnings”, by Solomon W. Polachek and W. Stanley Siebert, presents a study in which the UK population aged between 60 and 64 years had accumulated an average of 6.9 jobs; in the US, this number for the same population equals 10.5. An average between these two figures corresponds to 8.7 jobs in a lifetime. It is safe to say that getting known and branding yourself is becoming more important than ever.
The Brand -- YOUPeople have been long searching for a way to one-up the competition. With the world going into the digital age, the process of applying for jobs also have became digital.
HR departments, headhunters, VCs and other stakeholders are using the Internet and their personal networks to find opportunities. Whether it is looking for a job, starting your own business or selling your products and services, the Internet plays a big part in many industries.
Personal branding is not a new thing, for several years now, many people have been sharing good value in the Internet on their blogs. Through other social media channels or search engines, their thoughts and deeds are made known, giving them opportunities to network and even better -- find a job or business opportunity.
I have personally know many individuals who have found jobs by just networking online. How do they do it? By simply making themselves more valuable to the marketplace by showing their skills and competence.
Digital FootprintYour digital footprint plays a very big role. In job hunting or starting a business, many people do use search engines to find out more information about you. When is the last time you search for yourself online? Is the outcome positive?
Well it is not too late. Personal branding takes time and effort. Building relationship online is the same too. It is never too late to start. Whenever you post good information on forums or blogs, or if you contribute any articles online, remember to use your real name. You will never know the things you write would be picked up somewhere and your brand would be BIG someday.
-- Robin Low
