LinkedIn professionals' network help users to brand themselves
LinkedIn, the social network for professional types, are looking to help their users understand the importance of personal branding in an increasingly competitive job market.
No, not the burning-poker farming type of branding, but the idea of turning your skills into a marketable product. It’s all a bit “The Apprentice”, but in these times when jobs are hard to come by, it all helps.
“Your personal brand has never been so important. In a competitive job market it can sometimes be difficult to stand out from the competition,” said a LinkedIn rep.
“People spend a lot of time perfecting CVs and interview techniques but often miss a very obvious trick. Recruiters and HR professionals will often check a person’s online profile before putting them forward for a job, or even before returning a phone call, this means that employers have potentially formed a first impression long before you are called in for interview.”
The new intiative, called BrandYou, includes groups and surveys to help you figure out your personal brand’s strengths and weaknesses. Expert opinions from Andrzej Moyseowicz (Saatchi & Saatchi), Katie Ledger (former BBC Click journalist), John Woodward (Publicis Worldwide) and David Midgely (INSEAD) are also available.
Kevin Eyres, Managing Director at LinkedIn Europe, said: “BrandYou is about establishing, building and maintaining your credentials, profile and professional experience throughout all stages of your career. As a complement to your offline reputation, managing your online reputation has never been more important in Europe than it is today.
“This is due to two factors: the increased mobility of the workforce – Europeans are changing jobs at an unprecedented rate – and with the increased proportion of Generation Y employees within the workforce completely at ease with social media and its mix of professional and non-professional interaction.”
