How Job Seekers Can Build Their Online Brand

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I am appalled at the number of people in today's society, especially the 20- and 30-somethings who are all-too-willing to be lemmings. They just follow down whatever path these giant Internet corporations sell them on - their products (e.g., Apple, Blackberry, etc.) and "services" (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, etc.).
These corporations, especially the ones who offer no tangible product and are nothing more than Internet posting boards, enticing you to disseminate to the world at large just bout everything about yourself and/or your family (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In), are merely using YOU so that they can ENRICH THEMSELVES at the expense of YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION! BIG BROTHER is not, as we all feared in the past would be the case - the government. It is Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, Intelius, and similar types of corporations that cyberstalk us and violate our privacy.
In this day and age where being online and participating in "social media" (which would be more appropriately called "ANTI-social media") is often times EXPECTED of us by employers, it is CRUCIAL that our privacy be respected, and it is ETHICALLY INCUMBENT UPON these providers of "social Internet space" to create policies that PROHIBIT: the dissemination of highly personal information about the poster, information and comments about others who have not agreed to such information being disseminated about them, and similar COMMON-SENSE matters. It is also incumbent upon OUR GOVERNMENT to control content on these sites. Yes, yes, we all know about the GRIEVOUS ERRORS IN CRITICAL REASONING AND THINKING committed by our JUDICIARY, especially the U.S. Supreme Court justices; however, we must test the limits of constitutionality vis-a-vis PRIVACY matters and the EMOTIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY and WELFARE of our citizenry.
Society is falling apart at the seams as a result of the dizzying rush by Internet corporations to DESTROY OUR PRIVACY FOR THEIR FINANCIAL GAIN. It is high time that WE, THE PEOPLE, PUT AN END TO IT and ASSERT THOSE RIGHTS! I seriously doubt that our FOUNDING FATHERS AND MOTHERS risked their lives so that the likes of the owners of Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and Intelius can enrich themselves at our expense! We did not fight a war of Independence, nor did we craft our Constitution for that nonsense (just as we did not do so in order to have the First Amendment erroneously interpreted by our UN-esteemed judiciary as protecting pornography). Enough said!

Mary D. of CA 5:34AM February 17, 2012

I can tell that Alexis Grant (Ms. or Mr.?), the "author" of this article, is not concerned about PRIVACY. This individual should be well aware that if one creates one's own personal web site, as part of which would be included our resume, EVERYONE in the world will have access to it, including: criminals, terrorists, identity thieves, those scumbag aggregators of our personal data, who cyberstalk us to find more and more information about us, and then splash it all over the Internet, every stranger out there, abusive ex-husbands whom we do not wish to find us, and other people whom we do NOT want to know everything there is to know about us, including our entire educational and professional history. These matters are PRIVATE between our employer and ourselves and others do NOT HAVE THE RIGHT to know that. That is why one's EMPLOYEE FILE IS CONFIDENTIAL! It's that simple!
Let's just STOP THIS NONSENSE about personal branding and go back to the basics that have worked in the PAST and should continue to work just fine: Email or mail to the employer 1) a cover letter and 2) our well-written resume. That should more than suffice. At that time, if upon reading our submission they are interested in us, they can give us a call, do a preliminary phone interview, and determine whether they wish to interview us in person.

Mary D. of CA 5:11AM February 17, 2012

Today you need to let people know why you are special, the reasons why people will not only read your content, articles, and emails, but see that you have something to offer. You need to sell yourself in today's fast paced society, it means looking at yourself as a product, with special features, and these skills can help others, such as employers, temporary employers, or others what want to hire your services. No one will know you unless you are willing to discuss that make you a special brand, that has specific skills that will benefit others.
Expect rejection, setbacks, failure while you sell your most important brand: yourself. You are special, and you need to continue to let the world know you have a bucket load of skills, talents and abilities that are special. You can do it. Go for it.

William J. Bond, Author, Motivator,Speaker,Educator of MA 2:01PM March 18, 2011

Not everyone has the skills to put together a personal web site. That's one big reason for the popularity of Facebook.
Sites like http://Verify.IM allow you to create a snapshot of your online identities and provide a bit of personal branding at the same time.

Erik of CA 7:56PM March 17, 2011

Most peopl cannot write very well even if they have a rich collection of things to write about. It is one thing to discover your interest and it is another thing to write it out in a way that will interest other people. If you write about yourself in a shoddy manner, it will be like killing yourself globally with your own pen (or your own keyboard in this case). Also, some brands do fail. And failed brands are history. Therefoer if you attempt to brand yourself and it turns out that your brand is a failure, you will be a storm cloud.Also, all some one needs to do to throw mud at your ''brand" on a global 'internet' scale is to write some muddy things about you and provide a like to your 'brand' page. Please people, do not brand yourself. Leave things as they are. You will be glad you did.

Bill of CA 8:41PM March 15, 2011

Most peopl cannot write very well even if they have a rich collection of things to write about. It is one thing to discover your interest and it is another thing to write it out in a way that will interest other people. If you write about yourself in a shoddy manner, it will be like killing yourself globally with your own pen (or your own keyboard in this case). Also, some brands do fail. And failed brands are history. Therefoer if you attempt to brand yourself and it turns out that your brand is a failure, you will be a storm cloud.Also, all some one needs to do to throw mud at your ''brand" on a global 'internet' scale is to write some muddy things about you and provide a like to your 'brand' page. Please people, do not brand yourself. Leave things as they are. You will be glad you did.

Bill of CA 8:39PM March 15, 2011

Interview the Best...the INFOMERCIAL...the content will help the unemployed:
http://www.ecproductions.com/ITB/ITB.html

Alan of CA 1:32PM March 03, 2011

www.interviewthebest.com

Antonio Mariano 7:55AM February 19, 2011

"If you put yourself out there in an authentic way, and you tell the world what you're good at and what kind of job you're interested in, you're going to attract only the right opportunities because you're telling people what you want."
Few can do that... who can I hire to help flesh out my best skills and narrate them in a powerful way?

Randy of PA 6:16PM February 11, 2011

Well, this is a half-true in any way. Presence on Internet - yes. How and where - this is left open to the individual to decide. I personally feel against "polluting" social networks with business information. IT is too Chinese, I mean tasteless. May be many Americans do it too - it is still tasteless.
And yes, unscrupulous ones could manipulate your honest data. We live in age when the technology outgrew our evolutionary consciousness many folds. The point is can you stand for yourself, fearlessly and honestly, for what you are at this present moment? And of cause, just adjust the information along as you change and grow (hopefully). And if you do it this way, how many more will advertise their dreamed selves rather than the current real ones? IT is a mess.
I would rather count on a good relationship, spontaneously growing between two or more people who met on these social e-places and take it from there. I mean, how much the hiring of the best people improved after HR and Recruitment companies stream lined their selection processes? Very little worth the effort. It is stupid, I would say.
And another thing. I have never been fond of the employee-employer situation. IT doesn't work well, and it will get worse in the 21st century. Why? Because the current situation impedes the natural human spirit seeking growth and self realisation. How many corporations offer anything in that field? Very few is the truth.
I would reckon, flat structures, (Google, Virgin, SEMCO etc), self-determining the position within the scope of a larger business, more personal responsibility and freedom of choice - higher consciousness in our individual work performance.
So, go for it, brand yourself, but be aware: if you are self over appreciating or under-appreciating, it will work against you.

Brandon of CA 1:59AM February 08, 2011