I first heard of Brand-Yourself.com when I saw their booth at a local Internship fair at Syracuse University.  When they told me that potential employers were searching me online whenever I applied for a Job, I started to get real worried about this upcoming break when I would be applying for extremely competitive summer internships with larger companies. I realized that it’s really easy to go out, have an unflattering photo posted of me online, and by the time I see it, I’ve already been turned down for the interview.

D0 You Pass the Google Pre-Screen?

I decided that the best way to find out what potential employers could find out about me was to do some research on myself. I figured that if I know what they’ll find and find it first, I’d be able to take the necessary steps to prevent my online image from being tarnished. So I typed my name into Google expecting to be bombarded with photos, videos, and articles mentioning me, in both positive and negative lights. What I uncovered was far worse than any drunken or indecent photo of myself. I found nothing at all. My Facebook wasn’t even on the first page of results!

It was as if I didn’t even exist.  I realized that I had far worse to worry about than being found holding a red cup. If I couldn’t even find myself online, how would potential employers find me? And when they find nothing, what would their reaction be? I’d just be another name on a piece of paper.

Opportunity was knocking and all I had to do was answer the call. I had the perfect chance to build up an online presence that would not only make me easy to find, but would portray me in a positive and professional fashion.

Give to Receive

I became conscious of the fact that I’ve been using the Internet really one-sidedly, always taking information from others but never contributing my own to the billions that are online. It’s not even that hard to contribute to the online community, especially considering there are millions of blogs on thousands of topics. All I had to do was find something that interests me and start typing away. Most social media and blog sites allow you to sign up for free, all I have to do is put my own thought and ideas out there.

Needless to say I’m still working towards building my online image and getting my voice out there. I’ve been amazed, however, by the amount of great connections I’ve made in a short period of time but like all good things, it takes time, patience, and determination before you reach your end goal.

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When the internship is over, make sure employees know that you are not only appreciative of the experience you gained but you also wish to be remembered. Leave your mark at the place where you interned by writing a thank-you note to the people you worked with and everyone you learned from. Below is an example of a thank-you note written by an intern who worked for his local newspaper:

“To the newsroom:

I want to thank all of you for what I have come to call the most fulfilling summer I’ve ever had.

Art – I thank you wholeheartedly for the opportunity. The past three months have proven to be a true turning point in my academic career. I will not forget you in my future endeavors.

Brian and Linda – You were a joy to work with and talk to every day. Brian, when I first accompanied you at Starbucks for your war veteran column, I knew it would be a great summer. And of course I was happy to help balance the rivalry-driven ratio of Syracuse-to-UConn. Orange pride!

Jacky – Thank you for all of the opportunities to cover stories. Every day I was amazed that no matter how many people approached you during the day with something to expand your work-load, you always remained level-headed with a smile. I can’t imagine meeting a better managing editor.

Bret – You know everything! Through all of the technical work regarding my videos, I felt lucky to have you as a resource. Thanks again.

To everyone else that I had the pleasure to personally work with, I extend the utmost of gratitude. I learned so much this summer that it’s hard to believe my writing professors can teach me anything else.

Thanks again to everyone. Keep in touch.”

This letter, though written professionally, was written with an added personal touch. The intern connected with each employee he addressed on a more personal level and has thanked them each for all he has learned by developing specific relationships with them. Here are a few benefits of writing a thank-you note after your internship experience has ended:

• You’re more likely to be remembered. By thanking everyone for the experience, you show that the internship meant something to you. The chance to work among career men and women was important and you want them to know just how much in writing. Writing a passionate thank-you note will cause your presence to stick around for a while. It will also pave the way for a stronger recommendation if you ask for one down the road.
• It will help you network. The sample letter I included above demonstrates an intern’s true desire to connect with people in the journalism field as well as his appreciation for having done so. In your thank-you note, be sure to include specific reasons why you are so appreciative and address specific people or departments. That way, your thank-you letter is more likely to be shared with multiple departments so others can read it and less likely to be viewed by one person and then thrown away.
• You will appear a more passionate person. Passionate people get the job done! Thanking the company for all your opportunities is the best way for them to know you really cared about the job and that you weren’t just getting through it for the school credit.
• You can improve your communication skills. By getting in the habit of giving gratitude where due, you strengthen your ability to make the most of your work relationships. No matter how extensive or brief you make your note, a thank-you will show that you got a lot out of working with their team; doing so habitually will show everyone you work with in the future the same thing.

It feels good to be thanked, and to know that you helped someone achieve their goals and broaden their horizon. Keep in mind that by making a good impression at your internship, you lay the groundwork for future successes – who knows, maybe the boss at your internship winds up being your boss at a completely different company down the road!

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Adrienne is a Syracuse University student from Danbury, CT majoring in Writing and Rhetoric with a Leadership Communication minor. She is a big fan of impressionist art, ocean views and classic rock. She hopes to one day have her name in the credits of a hit film whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera.

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So you’ve graduated. You now have a piece of paper that you paid $200,000 for and you’re soaring on top of the world with your limitless hopes and dreams. You’re marketing yourself every way you know how. Yet, you can’t seem to find a job anywhere and you’re rapidly sinking into despair. Wow, this recession really bites, especially for us recent college graduates. I really hope it ends soon. However, the question is, what are you doing in the mean time? Hopefully, during this recession you’re marketing yourself. Though the job market is a rough one with unemployment of roughly 10%, which is extremely high no matter which way you look at it. If you’re part of this percentage, don’t fall prey to the crushing weight of a recession. Utilize this time to your benefit.

Internships are Virtually Recession-Proof (and a Great Way to Market Yourself)

The company gets an employee that doesn’t get a paycheck, take that recession! Besides, interns don’t just get the coffee anymore. As an intern you are just as much a part of the team as everyone else. Granted you might still get more of the little work that nobody else want to do but at least you’re working for the company. Now, a big part of this is that you make sure you get an internship in a field that you want to be in. We’re told all through school to make sure we have an internship or 20 under our belts. Well don’t just get an internship to have one. Make sure it’s beneficial to you and your future career. Another good thing to remember about internships is that you’re working for a company for free and if you’re willing to do this and you do it well, you never know, there may be a job waiting for you at the end of the 3-6 month tunnel.

Volunteers are Selfless (and Marketable)

Well the selfless thing isn’t always entirely true. Odds are you’re doing it to make yourself look better, but that’s not always a bad thing. It can be a great way to beef up the résumé while at the same time benefiting society, but there’s more to it than that. This is another great way to show you’re able to work hard even with no pay. Though it would be nice to be in something that could potentially benefit your future career, I personally feel that not as necessary here. It is a great way to spend your time being productive and keeps you from getting lazy.

Entrepreneurs Rule (and Guess What? Marketable)

Now’s your chance! You’re probably insanely in debt, have no job or if you do it’s only part-time and you’re college loans haven’t come due. Your mind is swarming with ideas. With the age of the Internet and technology being relatively cheap and affordable, what’s stopping you from taking all this free time you have and making something great out of it. Write a book, write a business plan about that Internet start-up you’ve been thinking about and there’s always that fun little freelance thing you hear so much about. You can do any of these and hopefully a million that I’ve not listed, just do them.

These are but a few of the options for marketing yourself during a recession. Remember, just because school is out and we’re in a recession doesn’t mean you get to quit learning or marketing yourself. It’s an eternal process. The more you do and learn outside of college, the more impressive your résumé becomes and the more beneficial you become as a working member of society. This of course will lead to the job of your dreams as long as you put forth the effort.

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Your personal brand is the best tool you have for your upcoming interview. You are likely in panic mode though. You feel like you are forgetting the basic details. Such as your name. Ultimately, this is one of those things that might not be in your favor. If you are not in panic mode, then I extend my congrats to you because you are one step closer to a good interview, but if you want a great interview, I have a personal tip for you that has helped me and many others make that leap. It is not really a big secret, especially over here at Brand-Yourself. Your personal brand — this is what you need to take to your interview. Just like you have a heard a million times before, selling your personal brand, but what does this truly mean? That is what I intend to clear up for you.

We have all been in this situation before: we were all set for the interview, but now that we are there we are sweating bullets the size of cannon balls. “Is my iron off? My apartment could be burning to the ground right now. Crap! I’m probably being robbed right now. My stuff is gone. What job am I applying for again?” Do not worry. Your iron is off. You still have an apartment, complete with all of your unstolen stuff. In fact, you have the most important tool you need for this interview, your brand! Who knows you better than you? Well, a stalker maybe, but that is a police issue that we are unfortunately unequipped to handle. Now bring your brand forward.

Take what you have prepared and put your spin on it. Make it sound like you were built for this job. We all love talking about ourselves, do not deny it. This is your opportunity to do it and to do it with style. The company wants to get a feel for your personality and what you bring to the table, they most likely do not want a pre-programmed robot that acts on command and if they are do you really want to be there?

Using Your Personal Brand in 3 easy steps:

1. Practice/break down the question.

2. Answer the question with a little “you” attached.

3. Repeat as needed.

Practice/Break Down the Question

Practice the questions beforehand that the interviewer might ask so that you are better prepared. Breaking down a question on the spot and giving back an intelligent answer on the spot is a very hard skill to master. By doing this you will not stumble all over the answer. Do not worry though. You are allowed a little stumbling. This process will just help you out a lot in the end and put a minimum on the mistakes.

Answer Question with a Little “You” Attached

Here is where you take those broken down parts and make them your own. We will take the two parts from the question above. You can start by stating what you know about how they do it. Show that you know their business. Then, when answering the part about your knowledge, you will not simply wish to say that you know it and that you can do more than just the bare minimum. You want to state approaches you have previously used to accomplish what they already do but with your own version of it and explain what it has done and why it has worked for you. I will use Twitter as an example as it is one of the fastest growing social marketing tools around, you could state something like, “I have noticed that your marketing has drawn in X amount of new business via Twitter but also I have noticed that your not retweeted as much as you could be. Have you considered shortening your tweets to around 120 characters so that others have the ability to retweet with minimal editing to allow it to fit? I feel this could bring in further word-of-mouth business.” Instead of regular run-of-the-mill answer, you have successfully just stated your knowledge of the matter while simultaneously showing your ability to innovate. You have attached a little of “you” into this answer.

Repeat

Do just that, repeat the process on the next question.

I speak all of this from personal experience and realize that interviews are extremely nerve-wracking. Just remain calm. Remember, you are who you are and your potential employer knows this — this is exactly why they called you. They want to know more about your personal branding. Thankfully, you have been perfecting this brand for years. You may not have even realized it and now you have an amazing opportunity at getting this job that you have always wanted.

For more posts about your personal brand and other interview tips check out these blog posts:

1. Using Social media to develop your personal brand
2. How to Write a Short, Professional Bio On Yourself (Learn from a master)
3. Branding Interview with Ola Rynge
4. How to Answer Interview Questions

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Jeffrey is a graduate of Michigan State University. Known in various lairs of the Interweb as makeyourownfun. A writer, an innovator and a true idea man. He loves pretty much everything to do with the arts. Whether it be designing new graphics or writing random thoughts in his journal, if he’s not creating, he’s probably sleeping; even then its a crazy world. He pushes everyone to be at their best and encourages creativity on all levels in order to inspire innovation.

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