Identified

Brand Pages: How do YOU Interact?

Since Google+ released brand pages last week, many people have been talking about the possibilities of those pages and how people will interact with them. Using your social networking profiles to connect with companies you admire or want to work for is a great way to connect with people who have similar interests.

If you’re looking for a job, many of these companies have career pages that you can connect with to get an inside look at what its like to work there. Liking a career page for a company also allows recruiters to see you and your interest in the company, and they may contact you for an open position.

Even if you’re not interacting directly with these companies and products, showing that you’re interested and starting conversations with friends and others in your networks can be a good way to connect with people. Give your contacts a reason to interact with you, and start conversations around brands that people will find interest in.

Everyone’s different, and some prefer to stay away from brand pages while others love to connect with them. How many brands do you choose to connect with, and how do you interact with them? Let us know with a comment, and feel free to connect with Identified's FB Career page for updates on jobs at Identified. We've also launched on Google+, so let us know what you'd like to see on these pages!

Networking: What NOT to Do

We’ve gone over some good tips for building your personal and professional networks (link to past blog post), but it’s also important to cover some networking mistakes which you might be making. Don’t worry, these are all easy problems to fix!

-DON’T forget to follow up with someone after you've met them. Meeting someone alone is not what makes them a contact. Give them a reason to remember you. If you’re new to networking, this might be an intimidating task but you’ll see results and your new contacts will appreciate your effort.

-DON’T expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter. Provide new contacts with a reason to speak to you and add you to their networks. Show interest in what others have to say and provide relevant commentary to show your worth. Talking only about yourself is not what’s going to land you a job, try and consider what you can do to benefit those that you’re meeting.
One thing to remember is that in order for people to see the value in you, you need to show that you see value in them. Networking is not a one way street.

Do you have any other tips for new networkers about what to avoid when trying to build their networks?

What are the Benefits of Working at a Company That Allows Social Media Access?

There are many companies that do not allow their employees to access social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, at work. While there are some benefits to this, like increased productivity, it seems like more and more people are using these sites to network professionally and interact with clients and coworkers in a new way, other than by email or phone. So why else would you want to work at a socially savvy company?

- Having the ability to access your Twitter or Facebook account at work allows you to network with clients and coworkers to share relevant information, connect on a personal level, and read news updates faster than you’d be able to almost anywhere else.

- Working for a company that actively uses social media allows for you to see a new and different way that companies are interacting with each other as well as their clients and fans. Even if you’re not an active social media user personally, starting out at a company that uses social media allows you to ease your way into the social world which is good experience to get.

- Companies that allow or encourage social media use are probably more likely to attract top young talent, who are social media experts and see the value in using it to connect. Inquiring about a company’s social media policy is a good way to get a sense for the company culture. If you’re someone who is on Twitter constantly getting news and sharing information, working at a company that doesn’t have a Twitter account for business and doesn’t allow access to the site from work computers might not be the job for you.

Working Remotely: The Good and The Bad

Cisco has just released a report showing data collected that says 7 out of 10 students believe that being in an office regularly is unnecessary. This increase in the number of people who believe that being in an office is unnecessary can be attributed to many things, including increasing use of email to communicate. Working remotely seems to be a controversial issue throughout all generations of workers, so in this blog post we will lay out a few good and bad aspects to working remotely.

Pros:

- For those who are not inspired by an office environment, working from home or a coffee shop might allow them to complete their work faster or with higher quality.
- For those in big cities, commuting can be stressful and tiring. Working remotely can eliminate that added stress and allow that person with more time to concentrate on their job responsibilities.

Cons:
- Working from home doesn’t allow a person to connect with their coworkers and bosses, and might decrease their chances of getting a promotion or better projects. There is a lot to be said for putting in the necessary face time at the office!
- Working remotely causes a disconnect from the job and company, and might not allow people working from home the ability to fully understand the company’s mission and corporate culture which is an important aspect of a job.

What are your thoughts on the pros and cons of working remotely? Do you think this is going to become a bigger trend in the coming years?

Social Media and Personal Branding

The rise of social media platforms is prompting individuals to manage their personal brands, which are increasingly visible online. Understanding the benefits of social media and its powerful tools is essential for professional and career developments. Given the ease at which the public can access social media platforms, it is essential individuals are aware of how they present themselves to the public online. Below are some tips for enhancing your personal brand when engaging in social media: 1.     Provide adequate information about yourself: instead of rushing to sign up for numerous social media sites, start your focus with the ones that you already have and make sure that the information you provide is adequate and appropriate enough to form a favorable perception of you. 2.     Consider your purpose of interacting online: are you using social media only for socializing? If that is the case, then you should keep in mind that your online presence, even if it were strictly for socializing, would be viewed in the context of your professional identity. 3.     Improve the quality of your networks: having quality connections as a part of your network increase your chances of being referred or recommended by them. 4.     Be explicit about your passions and interests: expressing your personal interests regarding a career or field helps build your professional identity and enables people to see your potential. 5.     Highlight your skills and talents: doing so will make you attractive for recruiters and potential employers. Perhaps the most important hint for managing one’s personal brand is to accept that your online presence will be used to evaluate your professional strengths and identity. It is therefore in your best interest to use social media wisely and effectively to enhance public perception of your personal brand.

What are Recruiters looking for on your Social Media Profiles?

How many times have you heard not to post pictures of your crazy weekend nights or swear words on your Facebook page because a potential employer might find it? This has left many people concerned over what to post on Facebook, so much so that they might be tempted to just not include any information at all. Here is a list of some of the things employers are looking for when they do a social background search, including both positive and negative information. Keep in mind this applies to all social network profiles, not just Facebook. Negative Information:  Drinking, inappropriate photos (as well as wall posts about similar subjects) Negative comments about previous employers or co-workers Poor grammar Ignorant comments that someone you don’t know might find offensive Racist comments Illegal activity, such as drug use   Positive Information: Education Work experience Insights into your interests and hobbies Good grammar and intelligent commentary Your network and how you interact with others   Can you think of any other information that you might want to share on your Facebook page that would be attractive to recruiters?

Maintaining Your Personal Brand While Employed

Just because you’ve found a job doesn’t mean you should completely abandon the hard work you put into building your brand during your job search. Even if you’re happy with your job and planning to stay for a while, it’s still important to continue to build connections and industry knowledge. Here are some easy ways to stay in the loop: - Stay updated on industry news by reading blogs, news sites, and commenting regularly with constructive points. This will build name recognition for you and credibility as an informed source. This will benefit your future career goals, as well as your current employer. - Create a personalized email signature and business cards with all of your updated information, and make sure that any changes are made on these in case your phone number or website happens to change. This will allow people to always get in contact with you, whether they meet you in person or you’re communicating via email. - Maintain your professional network and make sure that your boss and coworkers always see you in a good light. Being personable and working hard are the best ways to do this, in order to always make sure that your boss remembers why he/she hired you. Do you have any other suggestions for people who are interested in maintaining their personal brands throughout their careers?

Company Culture & You

Nobody wants to work for a company where they don’t relate to their coworkers or they feel uninspired at the office. This is why it’s important to find a company where you enjoy the office culture when you’re job hunting. Here are some helpful hints to figure out where you’d fit in: - When you’re interviewing, ask the person (or people) with whom you are speaking about their favorite aspects of working for that company. If you can see yourself enjoying those things too, that might make your decision a little easier. Everyone wants to enjoy going to work, and if you love the idea of an office with a relaxed atmosphere then that might be something to look for. To gain more insight into corporate culture, you can also utilize social media to find people you know who have worked for that company before. - On company websites, they often have a “careers” tab, or something similar, that describes the perks of working there, and might give you a profile of quotes from a few employees. If the company brand is something that appeals to you, it might be a great place for you to apply. It’s always helpful to mention that you’ve done your research in an interview or cover letter, because fitting in with corporate culture is a big part of finding a good fit. - Check out what’s being said about that company on social media. Look at their Facebook page, or take a look at what’s being said about them on Twitter. Don’t hesitate to ask questions on these mediums, there will usually be someone interested in helping you learn more. Observing how they connect with customers or interested applicants might be a good talking point for a future interview. How important is company culture to you?

 

Building Your Brand with a Personal Blog

It seems like everyone is blogging these days, whether it’s for a company blog or on a personal website. Here are a couple reasons why you should consider creating a blog to help build your brand: - Blogging will greatly improve your writing skills. Being a good writer is a skill that many admire, but few are good at. Whether you realize it or not, posting regularly on a blog will help you become a better writer, and will provide potential employers with a great writing sample. Writing about what anything that inspires you could lead you to learn a new skill, or connect with other people who are interested in the same things as you. - Networking with others who are industry experts can be a great way to gain recognition, build connections, and learn more industry expertise. Promoting your blog on social media and commenting on similar blogs can be an effective way to link up with others who share your interests. You never know what benefits might come from it! - Even though you’re thinking of creating a blog related to your career, it’s always important to show your creativity and personal side. If your posts consist of just news stories and related updates, people might not come back. Remember to add commentary and opinion, and ask questions to create engagement and show your readers that you have the ability to come share industry insight and add to the conversation. What have you learned from blogging? Feel free to comment with tips/suggestions for new bloggers.

Why Do Students and Recent Grads Prefer Facebook to LinkedIn?

- Their friends are on Facebook. People who are in college, or graduating and joining the workforce have probably been using Facebook since they were in high school. All of their friends use Facebook, and the information they share on their profile has been accumulating over time. Why would they want to leave a site that all of their friends are on, that documents all of their memories in the form of pictures and wall posts? - They don’t have a lot of work experience, which might make them self conscious about the information that they provide on LinkedIn. Throughout high school and college, and even post-graduation, people work at jobs that they’re not necessarily proud of. If someone worked as a nanny during college and thats their only job history, they might be embarrassed or nervous to put that up as a job title on LinkedIn. LinkedIn can be really intimidating for new graduates, who see older people with 20+ years of experience in the workforce that make them feel inferior. - It lacks the social aspect that is so accesible on Facebook. Facebook allows you unlimited messaging, chat, pictures, and so many free social apps and games that draw people to spend more time on the site. With LinkedIn, messaging is only included in the premium package that costs money. Another disadvantage of LinkedIn is that aside from posting a resume and listing work history, it doesn’t allow people to share personal information that younger people place more importance on when they have less work experience.