For most professionals, building your personal brand and increasing your brand capital includes the use of social media. Online platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. give you the opportunity to present who you are and what you are passionate about, and connect with others who share your interests and goals. Utilize these sites to advocate for the career you want to pursue and organizations that you want to attract.
It’s Important to Post on Social Media
To engage with others, develop followers, build credibility with your current employer, and attract the interest of employers who might be interested in you, it’s important to post regularly. Posting often keeps your name in front of people, and helps reinforce your interests and passions. Your online content helps viewers and connections learn more about you, and in the case of potential employers, they can see how you might fit into their organization. For instance, someone pursuing a career in aerospace engineering would likely share links and articles about space programs, awarded government contracts, and growth or challenges in the field.
Be Wary of Sharing Fake News
As you post links and articles, and contribute to online discussions you can leverage new information by linking to news articles, re-sharing someone else’s content (always attributing to the author) and posting about current events. When posting articles, news updates, and links remember to first check that your sources are credible. Click on the link, read the article or post, and if you still want to share it, proceed. The risk of sharing without first vetting is that if you share false information (“fake news”) you can damage your credibility as a trustworthy source. Fake news is making the rounds on all social media sites, and these fictitious links are being shared and re-shared across the web. If you post something that is later known to be misleading or untrue, your name is associated with the information. This isn’t good!
On social media, only post content that is true and defensible.
Being active online means showcasing how you want to be perceived and managing the impression people will have of you. Want to be seen as an innovator? Then post about your ideas, vision, risks taken to support an innovator’s work style. Just be sure that information you share is true and defensible.
Being actively engaged and current in the field you want to join will help you stand out.
