Personal Branding for Undergraduates

PERSONAL BRANDING FOR UNDERGRADUATES: HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF ONLINE

Suna GurolFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterJune 12, 2012

IntroductionSuna Gurol

•MA in Communication in Digital Media, University of Washington, 2011

•Lead Web Producer, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center since 2003

•Social media at Center since 2008

Outline

• What is online personal branding?• Social media channels• Tips on what not to do• Dumb tales of woe• Do this!• Questions?

THE INTERNET IS NOT YOUR BFF.

The internet is your Mom.

So, what do you want your Mom to say about you?• What makes you stand out from others (besides your general

awesomeness)?• What do people say about you when you aren’t around?

Personal branding – what is it?• Think of how you want to present yourself.• Tell your own story.• Think of yourself as a brand. • Market yourself. • Realization - You control

your own image. • Realization – You need to have

an online presence.

Old days of networking

• Curriculum Vitae• Professors• Friends and colleagues• Alumni• Friends and relatives of colleagues

But now…• Majority of careers recruiters are using the

internet to review job candidates. New survey from Jobvite reports that this year 92% of U.S. companies are using social networks and media to find new job candidates.

• Many admissions committees are Googling applicants. Or if they aren’t then alumni interviewers may.

Social networks

Each online social channel has a different flavor• Facebook – For friends/family. • LinkedIn – Professional network.

Very important to have.• Twitter – Builds a voice. But needs to be

maintained.• Wordpress / Blogger – Creating a blog. Use

it to keep a record of your important papers, projects. Can be a sort of capstone project.

• Others – Slideshare, Pinterest, Google+, Flickr

Don’t!• Don’t use a cutesy nickname for your

social profiles or email address. “@WaterSkiNut” or “dummie420@email.com” doesn’t say ‘I’m a serious person.”

• Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Don’t join every social network or start a blog if you can’t maintain it. (How many abandoned 8th grade diaries are there out there?)

• Don’t post or allow yourself to be tagged in photos in compromising situations. (Remember Mom).

• Don’t lie. Really. You will get caught. Or caught in the cover up of the lie. Which is worse.

Don’t!

• #1 Don’t –

Don’t complain about your job/co-workers/BOSS online!

Stick to safe subjects to complain about – (weather, traffic, the Mariners)

Dumb

Dumber

Dumbest

Yes, do!• Do have a professional online

presence – At the very least:• LinkedIn profile• A blog/website with links

to publications, papers• Facebook profile that is

semi-professional

• Do use your real name.

• Do develop your online network – connect with professors, colleagues. • Ask for recommendations • Reciprocate! Follow people back on Twitter, comment on other

blogs, recommend each other on LinkedIn. • Follow your interests! They will follow you back.

More things to do• Do develop your online network –

connect with professors, colleagues. • Ask for recommendations • Reciprocate! Follow people back

on Twitter, comment on other blogs0, recommend each other on LinkedIn.

• Follow your interests! Follow interesting people. They may follow you back.

Still more do’s

• Do set boundaries.• Do Google yourself … and• Do clean up any digital dirt

before you apply to jobs, schools.• Do remember that everything on the Internet can

live forever. • Do (try) to think before you post! • Do be relevant, timely. • Do make non-professional networks (Facebook)

somewhat professional.• Do show your leadership.

Exercise

• Review my online personal branding

• Let’s Google/Bing someone! Volunteer please!

Good job! Questions?

Credits• Usage Of Social Media Sites For Recruitment Continues To Grow According To Survey of 1,000+

HR Pros. http://shakerrecruitment.ning.com/profiles/blogs/usage-of-social-media-sites-for-recruitment-continues-to-grow

• Social media can affect your college dreams http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2014424681_social08.html

• Social media and college admissions. http://theivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-interviews/social-media-and-college-admissions/

• 11 tips for using social media to find your next jobhttp://memeburn.com/2012/07/11-tips-for-using-social-media-to-find-your-next-job/

• Social Media Cost Me My Jobttp://blog.hudsonhorizons.com/Article/Social-Media-Cost-Me-My-Job.htm

Suna Gurol

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

E 1: sgurol@fhcrc.org

E 2: sunagurol@gmail.com

W: http://sunagurol.comL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sunagurol

T: @SunaG

Thank you Harry Hayward!