This article first appeared on Strikingly on April 23, 2015.
Whether we like it or not, peers and recruiters today learn a lot about us using all the information they can find online. They assess us as potential candidates and collaborators based on our LinkedIn information, social media profiles, and Google search results – in fact, according to research by Unbridled Talent, 30% of all Google searches are employment-related.
For job seekers and working professionals in particular, one reality of our digital age continues to ring true: We each have a personal brand online, whether we intend to or not.
What does this mean? To those indifferent, there are hidden costs at play. Opportunities and recruiters could (and sadly often do) pass you by, unbeknownst to you, for candidates with stronger personal branding online. To those proactive, however, there is potential for empowerment. If you are able to present yourself online with purpose and appeal, then you can set yourself apart positively. Whether you take the initiative to find others, or let others find you, it is absolutely crucial to ensure that when potential employers and collaborators research you online, what they see represents you in a strong, accurate, and appealing way.
A standard resume has become minimum expectation, and is not usually published online; LinkedIn on its own lacks visual appeal and variety, offering you little advantage in personal branding.
According to this Bloomberg Business article, 56% of hiring managers says ‘personal websites are the most impressive tool candidates can have to support their job search’; in addition, 77% of individuals surveyed indicated they would like a personal website, yet only 5% reported having one.
At Strikingly we have three fundamental beliefs, crystallized in our Manifesto:
- Humans are by nature creative and entrepreneurial
- All people should have equal opportunity to turn their ideas into reality
- The internet can (and should) empower everyone
We wish to empower our users – entrepreneurs and creatives, students and millennials, seasoned professionals – to create streamlined one-page personal websites showing who they are, in the way they want, with ease. Whether you are trying to land a job or bring in career new opportunities, LinkedIn One-Click personal site builder could well be the silver bullet that makes the difference.
