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Social media is a great platform to connect with online communities and mobilize people. Our strategy focuses on creating and executing programs that bridge traditional and new media to engage with candidates and deepen relationships. –Monica Pons

You can read the entire interview here.

Employers are becoming savvier about building an employer brand online. Candidates must become equally assertive about building and managing their employee brand. Today, companies like NBCUniversal are using the social web to discover and engage with potential hires. This makes it critical to be vigilant about having a clear, consistent professional brand on and offline. The days of personal branding being reserved for the trendsetting trailblazers are over. Like it or not you are a brand and it is up to you to define and deliver your brand promise. Below are 3 tips for building and managing your employee brand online.

Profiles with a Purpose

Use your online profiles to convey your brand identity and values.  Who are you as a professional and what do you value? What can you offer to an organization? Have a clear vision about who you are and then succinctly convey it in your profiles. Remember that your profile does not have to be dry and boring. Tastefully injecting personality into your profiles will show your humanity and invite people to engage with you.

Monitor your Mentions

If an employer does a Google search for your name, what will they find? In addition to googling your name, and email address it’s a good idea to assess and monitor your mentions. Addictomatic and How Socialable are two free tools that scour the social web for your entered keywords and terms . Both will often find items not captured by Google. Negative information can be as damaging as no information at all. Many companies today place value on a candidate’s ability to navigate the social web. At the very least you should have a presence on LinkedIn.

Master your Message

Take some time to develop your brand message and align your online profiles and content with that message. You can support that message through the information you share online. If you are an expert in technology, share emerging trends, demonstrate that you are a thought leader in your field. You can use your existing profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn to share information that supports your personal brand. For even more sharing start a blog using WordPress, Tumblr or Posterous Spaces or make use of content curation tools such as Storify and Summify.

Employers are online, are you ready to be found?

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Industry experts, colleagues, friends and analysts all agree that the key to a successful job search is networking. In days past almost every applicant had the opportunity shake hands with the boss and sell themselves in person. Today, you must make your way around technology just to get to a phone interview!

It is more important than ever to work to discover a way to have contact with a real human being.  We sometimes joke about deals made on the golf course, or sales closed over dinner but believe it or not, even in today’s techno environment, this still holds true.  A large percentage of jobs are never publicized.  They are filled through an internal network.  Sometimes jobs are even created based on the strength of a personal contact.  So, what can you do to take advantage of this job search tactic?

• Keep your resume updated.  Even if you are not in the active job market, be prepared for the opportunity that may come your way through casual contact.  You never know whom you might meet in the checkout line, at your child’s soccer game or on an airline flight.
• If you are actively seeking a job, tell people!  Spend some time each week, reviewing your contacts.  Call or email them letting them know you’re in the job market.  Briefly state your skills and your desired position and ASK if they know of anyone who might be looking for someone with your background.
• When you receive a lead from a contact, follow-up and let them know the result.  Be sure to thank them for their help.
• Is there a company for which you’d love to work?  Contact them! You do not have to wait for a posting or open position.  If you do not have a personal contact at the company, do your homework.  Find out the name of the hiring manager(s) for your position of interest.  There are a number of approaches that you can use:  job shadowing, mentoring, take them to lunch or coffee to gain their expertise on the job market.  Can’t get to the hiring manager?  Try another avenue such as sales representatives.
• Use technology to develop personal contacts. LinkedIn, Facebook and even Twitter can help you to network through your six degrees of separation to get to a hiring manager.
• Attend organizational meetings.  Meetings are a great way to make solid contacts if done properly.  Don’t simply go to the meeting armed with business cards.  Obtain a list of attendees in advance.  Identify the people that you would like to meet – don’t forget those that might supply to your industry.  Once you’ve identified your key contacts for the evening, do some upfront research to find out more about them and the company they represent.  Armed with your “target” list and background info, you are now prepared to effectively network.
• Follow-up immediately.  Once you have made a contact, do follow-up at once.  Drop a note in the mail, call and schedule a time to meet for coffee (or tea), or follow-up by email.  Include your resume in written correspondence.
• Maintain contacts.  Share information, make referrals, and maintain your network even if you are not in the job market.

The extra effort is well worth it especially when it leads to you finding the job of your dreams!