Personal Branding 101: Managing Your Online Presence

Here's an important fact to remember as a 21st-century professional: People are searching your name over the Internet at every stage of your career. Recruiters, hiring managers, or potential clients can see your drunken college party photos. Even senior executives have had their entire careers ruined because of a careless tweet. Does the name Justine Sacco ring a bell?

Just because you spend hours on social networking sites every day doesn't mean that you've already mastered the art of managing your online presence. If you want to be known as a talented, hard-working, and driven professional, you have to start weeding out online content that does not reflect the best of who you are.

Are you already doing the following?

1. Audit your search results.

Take the time to look yourself up on the Internet. Start with your personal social media accounts and take down or un-tag posts that depict what may be interpreted as unprofessional, bigoted, or violent behavior. You should also consider limiting who can view your photos with alcohol or in various states of intoxication.

2. Highlight your competencies.

Now that you've gotten rid of the bad, it's time to showcase the good. Prominently feature your photos showing participation in professional or community events. Share blog posts or status updates on projects that you're working on. If you have extracurricular activities, or if you're part of a hobby group, let people know about it.  This will help paint a picture of you as a well-rounded person. Recruiters, bosses, and future collaborators will also be able to gain insight on your character and what skills you can bring to the table. 

3. Reach out to high-quality people.

If you're only on social media to stalk whoever your ex is currently dating, you're wasting a precious resource. Don't just connect to people you already know. Sure, it's nice to keep up to date with whatever our cousins and third-grade classmates are doing, but you can do so much more with your social media accounts.

On LinkedIn, you can follow entrepreneurs and CEOs, and get inspiration from their articles. If you play your cards right and you know how to make a good impression online, you can even get a much-coveted internship or job from industry leaders.

In the case of Ryan Graves, a single tweet led him to be Uber's first hire and having a net worth of billions!

If you want to succeed in today's workplace, you have to know how to turn your name into a credible brand. We hope you try these three tips and make the most out of your social media presence.