4. Brand yourself online – Social Media Resumes

I got a massage yesterday and my mind wandered on over to online personal branding.  (I know, I know, a massage is supposed to be relaxing.  However <shrugs> your mind ends up wandering where it will.)

Tomato Clownfish by yours truly

I wondered, is there a way to create a single point of contact online which (professionally) shows the whole me rather than maintaining separate personal and professional sites?

The line between the two is blurring – in interviews we chat about common interests to break the ice – why can’t I present my common interests (like scuba and photography) in the same place as my resume and other content?

So researching today, I tripped across the concept of a social media resume.

Probably more than one person out on the intertubes shares your name.  And you know friends, family, and potential employers will Google you – so which hits are really you?  (BTW – I’m NOT the local politician whose daughter was busted for dealing.  Just gotta say.)

I have a name website (i.e., http://www.myname.com), a purely professional website and a blog.  I’ve decided to use my name site as a “pointer” site to the other sites but I don’t know how to format it. Everything’s jumbled about.

Online stuff that isn’t you

Sure, you can Google my name and find a slew of stuff, most of which is mine. How-ev-er, websites like Zoominfo collate information by name, but many links aren’t me.  And you can’t remove them, even if you claim your profile!  Grrr.

So what should I do?

Personal branding now branches beyond a resume and personal statement.  Jacob Share lists 50+ Tips for online branding that make a lot of sense.  The tips focus on sharing information and connections:

• Publicize your expertise as much as possible via websites, blogs, volunteerism.
• Create an avatar and join social networking groups like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter.
• Create a social media resume, add multimedia.
• Share your bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us or Google Reader Share.
• Publications, press releases, projects … anything that publicizes YOU!
• … and … your resume.

Okay, I’ve got most of these, but the phrase social media resume is new to me.  Mashable (excellent site) clued me in with Dan Schawbel’s HOW TO: Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume.

A social media resume allows you to collect all your information into one place, with your resume being just a single element. Now you can show (and control!) the Big Picture – your experience, your networks, some personal aspects, what you read and share, etc.

Bee in my local park

But what about including personal information? I want to share but I don’t.  I’ve always been wary of this – sometimes I see professionals include a “Personal” page where they show family pictures, genealogy, etc. and I cringe.  It’s providing answers to the many questions interviewers are not allowed to ask.  How old are you?  Do you have small children or intend to?  It also provides easy ways for a company to bypass you completely “for no reason at all.” Are you overweight?  Not pretty?  Have a disability?  Not the “right” race or political leaning?

Whew.  Reality check, my friends.

Christmas tree worms underwater

I don’t share family photos, but I would like to share some of my photography.  I take pictures above and below water.  I love scuba diving.  Diving has been an icebreaker for two different interviews!  I’d love for a potential employer to see me as a well-rounded person rather than a laundry list of professional projects and titles.

Facebook and employers.  Okay – LinkedIn is a professional networking site and 1) you should have a profile and 2) it obviously should focus on your professional activities.

http://www.robbyslaughter.com/images/facebook_drunks.jpg

However, Facebook is another story.  I resisted joining Facebook because my friend’s friend may be my boss!  I don’t need my boss knowing I was drinking dirty martinis until 2am with friends last week.  But I joined and kept my comments and pictures professional.  Many other people do not.  Here are some facts and repercussions –  Facebook is Unplanned Advertising.

(BTW – Take a look at your social networking profiles – the default privacy settings are generally for “everyone” rather than just “Friends.”  Fix that now. Keep the drunken party pics off the site.   Even a “harmless” stray beer bottle or risque picture on the wall can bite you in the ass and you’ll never know it.)

So, after my searching, it seems that a social media resume may be the thing I’m looking for.  It can clearly be the “official site for me” and cast doubt on the (possible lack of) quality of single links or aggregate sites like Zoominfo.

I’m gonna start working on mine right now, and I’ll show ya when it’s finished so you can tell me what you think.

Compass Point – the whole you and nothing but the you: My dilemma about branding has already been solved – social media resumes.

4 down, 356 to go.