Blogging is a great way to get your image to the public. When combined with LinkedIn and other social media accounts, blog posts can convey your personality to professionals in your field and can set apart one person from another. According to Lyle Wetsch, “A series of recent surveys of recruiters show that they believe the use of social media is an efficient, cost-effective way to obtain quality new hires” (Wetsch, 2012, p. 31). Blogs have been a popular tool for individuals and groups to spread their word across about absolutely anything. Blog posts are also available to comment on, giving the owner feedback about what they have written about. Popular platforms to create a blog include, WordPress.com, Tumblr, and Blogspot, and are all extensively used by professionals in all fields. Each platform have their own different features and audience, but are all acceptable to get started with. I utilize this blog for technical posts, as well as have a private Tumblr for posting about my daily life.
Another useful feature of blogging is how highly customizable it is. Platforms such as Tumblr, and WordPress allow for easy customization through themes and plugins. This makes it easy for novices to have a professional blog without any knowledge of coding. However, if users are skilled in coding and would like to make specific changes to their blog, these platforms allow for css changes, allowing everyone to fine-tune their blogs.
Figure 2
“Branding is your reputation. Branding is all about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from the others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation” (Cook, 2013, p. 1). When shopping for anything, we as individuals tend to seek out a specific brand that will fit our criteria. The same thing is being done to us as we are floating in the job market. “The contemporary personal and professional success requirement for an individual to maximize visibility has been growing in popularity, personal branding phenomenon appears to be here to stay” (Khedher, 2014, p. 37).Employers are looking for what will fit their needs, and what will mesh well with their brand. Having a specific mission in mind will definitely help. This mission will explain to others what you are driving for and can show others your unique individuality.
Even the projects you continually work on throughout your career and life will mold your brand. For example, the web site I am currently working on now for STEM NOW shows that I am an advocate for a fair and even workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I do feel strongly about this and believe that everyone, regardless of race, sex, gender, upbringing, etc., should be given a fair chance to pursue what they want to accomplish. Working on things and being vocal about your passion will go a long way toward building a future.
Cook, L. (2013). It’s a Brand You World!. Richland Library. Retrieved from http://www.richlandlibrary.com/it’s-brand-you-world
Khedher, M. (2014). Personal Branding Phenomenon. International Journal of Information, Business & Management, Vol. 6, Issue 2. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d1254007-2bfa-4a12-b090-4cdc7ada9f2a%40sessionmgr4001&vid=18&hid=4104
Wetsch, L. (2012). A Personal Branding Assignment Using Social Media. Journal of Advertising Education. Spring 2014, Vol. 16, Issue 1. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d1254007-2bfa-4a12-b090-4cdc7ada9f2a%40sessionmgr4001&vid=21&hid=4104
Image credit to http://modernobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Brand-Name-Logos.jpg
Aidan's thoughts 
