The more involved you become with various groups and projects, the more you need a bio. They are massively useful in a variety of settings - for example, if someone needs to post a description about you on a website, newsletter or article. Since people who don’t know you may only ever see your bio, you need to make it count.

1. Make three versions: short, medium and long. Most of the time, the length of your bio will be dictated by someone else. They will likely tell you how many words you can use to ensure that yours is the same length as other bios. Because of this, one bio will not do.

You need three bios:

• One sentence bio
• 100 word bio
• 250 word bio

Each bio has it’s place. You will save you time and energy when the time comes time to post it, and establish consistency between every bio about you that is published.

2. Introduce yourself as if you’re meeting a stranger. Lead in with your name. People need to know who you are before they hear what you’re all about.

3. Immediately state what you do. If you are “Portrait Photographer,” don’t wait until the last moment to say it. Your most important details should go in the first sentence. Remember: people on the web rarely read more than the first and last sentence.

4. Touch upon your most important accomplishments. Don’t list them, and make sure they fit. A bio is not a resume, it is simply a quick summary of who you are. If you have space, mention them. If not, ignore them.

5. Include your contact information. You should have a line in your bio that makes it easy for people to contact you. Stick to the norm and put your contact info in the last sentence.

6. Talk in the third person. Since your bio is something other people use to describe you, make it sound like someone else is talking about you. Good: “John Doe is a portrait photographer with six years of hands-on experience working with clients… etc.” Bad: “I am a portrait photographer… etc.”

7. Get feedback from a friend. A great way to test your bio is to have someone else read it. Ask for their feedback. Does it accurately state who you are and what you do? If after reading your bio they still don’t understand what value you provide, revise it until they do.

8. Keep it up to date. You’re constantly moving forward in your career, and your bio should reflect that. Never send out your bio if it still says you work for a former employer.

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In order to build a strong personal brand on the web, you need a clear and consistent image on every social network you’re a part of. We touched upon some tips in an earlier post to help raise your position in Google results when someone searches for your name online as well as how to interlink your web presence. This helps people actually find you. Now that they can find you, it should be immediately obvious to them that the profile they just came upon is YOU. A key quality of a strong personal brand is immediate recognition when someone is faced with your web identity.

So, are your social networks saying the correct things about you? Employers are looking for digital dirt about you on the web, as well as proof that you aren’t just a frat boy cruising through college without a purpose. Start taking a proactive role with these 5 tips to clean up your online web identity:

1. Take control of your photos. You’ve heard this before, but your personal and professional life are becoming one, largely due to Facebook. Go through what you have on your Facebook and MySpace and untag yourself in photos that an employer might find inappropriate. If it’s a photo you love but really should untag, download it to your computer so you’ll always have it handy. Keep in mind as you go through your photos that if you wouldn’t show your parents, you probably don’t want your potential employer finding it.

2. Set privacy settings. You have no reason to worry if employers can’t access your digital life. Facebook has greatly improved their privacy options. Take advantage of them.

3. Post photos from things other than parties. If you have photos from volunteering, studying abroad, working a job, giving a presentation, or any other semi-professional event, post them. They go a long way to help counteract other photos that might negatively impact your image.

4. Put up a clean profile photo of yourself. Even if you got a lot of compliments on your stripper halloween costume, a profile picture that isn’t associated raucous college partying means a lot to people in hiring positions. You can send your friends a link to the picture if they really need to see it.

These are four quick tips to get started making sure your social networking profiles don’t turn potential employers away before meeting you in person. Simply use your head. If you are worried about something,  remove it.

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There’s no better time to start building your brand than now, while you’re still a student.

College is the perfect place to start building your brand, because:

1. You are surrounded by professors who want to help you succeed
2. You are surrounded by peers who share your passions and interests
3. You are surrounded by resources, like Career Services, that don’t exist outside of college

In college, you have the unique opportunity to:

1. Explore your career interests without having to commit
2. Develop and hone skills sought by employers
3. Add to your network of relationships
4. Work on projects that result in “deliverables” (tangible things you can show someone), because as the father of personal branding says, deliverables become “braggables.”
5. Beef up your resume

So what are you waiting for? Learn the basics of what a personal brand is, and check our blog regularly to learn how to make yours remarkable!

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1. Take Courses Unrelated to Your Major

Steve Jobs made Apple the premier desktop publishing platform because he took a course totally unrelated to technology: calligraphy. It was out of his area of expertise, yet it inspired him to popularize fonts and typography on personal computers.

Even if you’re obsessed with accounting, don’t limit your education one single area. College is about risk-taking and leaving your comfort zone.

Besides being well-rounded, the benefits are enormous. You will be able to talk comfortably and intelligently with people from all areas of expertise, which is extremely important in the world of business. Being able to understand where other people are coming from also increases your ability to connect with them and form meaningful relationships. A strong personal brand means little without strong relationships to back it up.

2. Don’t Join Clubs and Organizations. LEAD Them.

Student organizations, fraternities and sororities are opportunities to lead. Not only will you become known around campus, but you will learn firsthand what it takes to lead a team. If you were making hiring decisions, would you rather hire a club “President” or a club “member?” Leadership positions go a long way to build your brand.

You will also meet passionate people your age that share your interests. Certain clubs in particular, such as Toastmasters - which focuses on improving your public speaking skills in a supportive group environment - will help you hone some of the most vital skills needed to succeed in business and in life.

3. Be a Teaching Assistant For a Semester

It’s often easier than you might think to be a T.A., and professors are always happy for the help. Simply go up to your professor after class (in a subject that interests you) and ask if they’d be interested in having you as their T.A.

The position will improve highly transferable skills including organizational and interpersonal skills. You’ll also get to know professors on a more personal level, deepening your relationships and forming bonds that may last a lifetime.

4. Take Leadership Roles at Every Turn.

Take leadership roles whenever they appear. If you think you don’t have enough time for multiple leadership roles, prioritize and eliminate the positions that excite you the least.

The more leadership roles you take on, the easier leading becomes - and the more comfortable you’ll be taking on even better roles. You may want to start simple, such as tutoring your favorite subject. You could become a peer advisor and help organize events or aid in spearheading a fundraiser. You’ll meet new passionate people (the best kind of people to know!) and hone your leadership, interpersonal and organizational skills.

5. Do a co-op or shadow a prominent figure in your field.

You can’t get real-world experience through books. The most important lessons in life - and the ones we remember most - are lessons we learn from our own mistakes. You can’t the make mistakes that will shape a strong Brand You if you hide under textbooks.

That’s not to say that books aren’t valuable tools. However, you need to get yourself out there and trip up a few times. Everybody does, and everybody needs to. The more mistakes you make early on, the less you’ll make later. And as a student, you’re not expected to be perfect. Make sure you ask questions constantly and tap into the knowledge of those above you.

6. Rabidly approach everyday problems with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Constantly ask yourself how you can capitalize on everyday problems. Look around you and ask yourself: what annoys you? For example, college student Ricky Podsiadlo launched http://winterhatshoppe.com at a Syracuse University, where students often skip classes because it snows so hard. He looked at a problem - excessively cold weather - as an opportunity to offer a solution.

7. Work a part-time job.

There are often a variety of part-time jobs on campus, and it’s up to you to find them. A dining services position can strengthen a weak resume by showing that you’re hardworking, punctual and energetic. A Resident Advisor position demonstrates your interpersonal, time management and organizational skills. No matter what job you take, you will be meeting new people, learning new skills and learning how to manage your time more effectively.

8. Volunteer.

Contributing your time can pay dividends by strengthening your resume, adding to your network and learning about new opportunities. Maria Elena Duro is an excellent example of someone who used volunteering to strengthen her personal brand: “As the vice president of a business fraternity in college,” she said, “I booked speakers to speak to our fraternity for professional development. I asked each of them to write a letter for me about their experience working with me so that I could include that in my personal portfolio. Many of these speakers went on to become regional directors, chief operation officers, chief financial officers, company presidents and further that my portfolio has become quite valuable. Actively ‘buzz’ your brand! Doing that will develop credibility; credibility will lead to influence; and influence with lead to leadership.”

When it comes down to it, building your brand means getting out and doing things that build your skills or are aligned with your passions. What can you do today to start building Brand You?

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