Don't lose your job on Facebook

Emmanuel [not his real name] had nailed the job already. He had gone through three stages of oral interviews, and he was successful. At that point, the list of qualified 35 applicants had narrowed down to two, but only one was needed.

According to Emmanuel, the odds were in his favour until, the head of the recruitment team decided to check their online presence. “That is where I missed it” he said.

When the name of the other contestant was ‘googled’, many links showed up; a good number of them contained his achievement in his field – marketing, whereas when Emmanuel’s name was ‘googled’ there was really nothing, except his Facebook profile.

But that was not all the trouble.

Emmanuel lost the job, and he was told that it was because his web personality didn’t fit the status they wanted for the marketing manager of their company. A member of the recruitment team, told him, informally that problem was that his Facebook posts did not in any way suggest that he can organise and lead the marketing team of a big corporation.

His, was a job, yours might be different.

“Mind what you post on Facebook!” It can make or mar you. Your reputation now goes beyond what you do or say, your association on the Internet is now a large part of it.

So, before you add or confirm that friend on Facebook, pause and think, “Will this person on my friends list add to or subtract from my personal brand?” Before you post that article, comment, or like that thing, think, “Will this hurt me or help me?”

The Internet is growing and the trend is irreversible. In the near future, success and failure will have direct link to the way you align yourself on the web.

But the piece of advice is that Facebook and other social media platforms are no longer for informal chit chats only. Whatever you do, make sure you are not throwing dirt on your career path.

What is your Brand Proposition?

Really, think about it. What is your promise? What do you have to offer the next person you are going to meet? Have you thought about it? Do you really have something to offer and are you really offering what you have?
Brand proposition means brand promise; the value that a business offers its customers or what a customer stands to gain by doing business with a corporation or purchasing a product. But for this post, I am considering the proposition of your personal brand.
Assuming you were a business, what will you be known for?
Coca-Cola is known for refreshment; Burj Al Arab [the only 7-star hotel in the world] is known for luxury; Microsoft is known for computer software innovations; Tiger Woods is known for excellence in golf; what are you known for?
You may not be popular yet. At least the spotlight is yet to shine on you, as a result only a few people know whether you are clueless or not, that is if they care. However, you should have something about you; something that makes you you; something that makes you different from others.
This is one thing that brand conscious firms do. They try to do something different or do same thing with others in different ways.
If you do not offer something different, why should anybody patronise you, especially if you are new in the market.
Think. Everyone in your crowded profession wants to get more jobs, more pay, more recognition just like you. And the easiest way to get ahead is to come of the crowd, focus, and fire.
What to do:
Take time out, probably a retreat, and think about who you really are. Document your talents, skills, and your areas of passion. Come to a conclusion and define who you are. Then let this definition of you, determine how you interact with others and what you produce: your speeches, your writings, your dressing and all your other forms of expression.
After this, make conscious effort to deliver value to whoever you come in contact with, wherever.

Increasing your Personal Brand Value during Reputation Crisis

Water was in short supply in the university campus. Students spent hours on queues at the few available taps trying to get water in containers, mostly buckets. A queue went as long as over 100 containers with some of the owner standing on the sides. Some students could not wait; they dropped their containers and returned for them later.
On this day, this student, a male, dropped his brand new blue bucket on the queue beside one of males’ hostel and left. He returned and saw a bucket that looks exactly like it already filled with water and he took it, thinking it was his. While he was walking away, the real owner the bucket confronted him and accused him of theft and proved with a tiny mark on the bottom of the bucket.
The students that had gathered at the scene, left with the impression that the student was “on trial” was guilty of theft. His explanations were not accepted by many, or so it seemed.
That incident dented his reputation – the value of his personal brand. In the next few weeks, when he walked around on campus, he could almost perceive other students calling him a thief. The impression lingered.
Lessons to Learn
1. Explain. When you goof in public, especially if you are a celebrity, try as much as possible to put the records straight before the audience disperse. Mind you, there is always a probability of making a mistake.
2. Avoid similar occurrences. You might not succeed at clearing your name in a particular incident of wrong; in fact some will not believe you. So from then henceforth, ensure that you don’t get involved in any other situation similar or related to that event. If a wrong action is not reinforced by other similar action, that action will soon be relegated to the back-side of people’s memory.
3. Move on. People are judged by the consistency of their actions. When you consistently do things excellently, you will be known for it. As a result, that moment of error will not count much.
4. Use it. Bad news spreads faster than good news. That means when you goof in public, you become more popular. Instead of whimpering under the spot light, use the opportunity to show the best in you. Reputation crisis will either bury you or elevate you. You choose.