Control what shows in a search engine

What's the first thing that shows if you type your name in a search engine? Is it your face book page? What information is shown on the page thay comes up? Are there any pictures that could keep you from getting the interview for your dream job?

You want to clean up anything that could put your brand reputation at risk. A lot of pictures of you drinking with friends doesn't look good to a potential employer. Even though it will get you tons of points with your friends it will hurt your chances at that cool job.

Build yourself and be prepared

You have to be able to write if you are going to promote your own brand online.  Don't sit around and wait for your personal career to try and define your success.  I made the mistake of waiting for 11 years to get the respect that I believe that I deserved inside the company.  I've learned a lot within the company but I could have done a lot more to help myself outside of the company but I didn't.  You are truly the only person that can build the career that you want.  No one else cares what you want they only care about what they want.

Communicate your thoughts professionally and put yourself in a light that focuses on your strengths.
Do you have a hidden talent that you love?  If so work on it in your spare time non-stop.  You may be able to build something from it and you may not be able to.  You'll never know until you try but you truly have nothing to lose.

Lately I've been doing some work on LinkedIn because it's a way to truly network.  I was surprised to get an email from someone in HR for a job through it.  I wasn't even actively looking but I was glad to know that someone was paying attention to the skills that I have.  Participate in some of the groups and express yourself.  Listen and understand what the groups are talking about.  Don't make the mistake of trying to control the group go in with the attitude of trying to be someone who gives to the group.  If you give to the group people will take notice and you'll never know what connections you'll make in return.  People are always looking for someone who can help them get to the next level.  This could be in the form of a new job, business partner or an expert consultant and you could be that person.

The corporate world is definitely changing a lot.  Companies are moving the jobs over seas without a doubt.  As a professional you have to figure out a way to adapt.  You make think that it doesn't affect you but it actually does.  How can you use your skills to combat this so in the future you are somewhat secure?  You may have to prepare yourself to be an online professional who words online and has to travel to different countries?  If so, are you ready to make that happen?

Control your personal brand

By controlling your online image you have the ability to create the life you want.  The image you give is a reflection of how people will perceive you.  Lets say you are an administrative assistant working for a company and you don't like the job.  You feel like you aren't able to use all of your skills to gain better income.  With controlling your online brand you have the potential to use all your skills to build your dream.  This allows you to have a fresh start and to build something that you are proud of.  Whether you are looking to change jobs or build your own company control your brand and you control the future.

Your Personal Google+ Brand

I've been doing some playing around with Google+ for the last two weeks.  If you aren't on Google+ I think it's time you should get on it.  If you are already a Facebook user I want you to take a different approach in Google+.  Use Facebook as a place to really focus on having fun and talking crazy to your friends.  Try using Google+ as a true networking and brand building of your personal self.  Google+ uses social circles to define niches amongst your friends, family and acquaintances.  Placing these individuals in these social circles or groups you can display messages only to this group.  Whether you understand it or not you are a brand.  The way people perceive you on the internet is your own personal brand.  This brand is a reflection of yourself and could help or hinder your from getting a job.

The Internet Is Its Own Brand

We tend to forget that the Internet itself is a brand. The “Internet” is a term to reference a network that crosses countries and languages. If we didn’t use the term “Internet” it would be difficult for us to communicate what we are referencing to someone else.

The Internet is a road that leads to destinations or pathways. The consumer of services or information travels down these pathways to reach the place of desire. Examples of desires are Disney, Ebay, Amazon and Apple. Daily these pathways are lined with thousands of traffic twenty-four hours a day. The traffic that travels these paths never questions what the “Internet” is because they’ve heard the word so many times the mind captures the word as truth.

Think about your brand on the Internet as a space. The brand is a space where people can choose to come to at any moment. How do people find your space? There are millions of spaces out there so how do you stand out? This is the trick that many corporations are trying to figure out. This is why tools like Adwords are making big funds for companies like Google. We’ve taken an old school concept like the highway with billboards and put it in a technology platform that appears to be new.

Look at the Internet and your website as an electronic structure of your brick and mortar business. Whatever you are doing in the physical realm you should be doing in your Internet space. Spend the time and money on research and development for your online space. Don’t let your information technology group tell you it can’t be done. The question should be, “How can we do it?”