VA’s guide to polishing your personal brand

Now more than ever, personal branding is critical to career success. A personal brand is the narrative we craft about ourselves through our achievements and choices, hobbies and passions. This narrative is largely demonstrated online through social media, email and websites. A strong, positive personal brand can increase your visibility and establish you as a thought leader within your community. But a negative or poorly defined personal brand can do just the opposite—it can even cost you career opportunities. In fact, according to a survey from CareerBuilder, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates, and 54% of employers have chosen to bypass candidates based on social media content.

So what does your online presence say about you?

Take a moment to audit your current brand. Google your name and see what comes up. Examine your current social media feeds and LinkedIn page as well as any personal sites. Find anything inappropriate or glaring? According to Monster, recruiters are put off by inappropriate pictures, excessive cursing, inactive social pages or no social presence at all.

We suggest you don’t delete your profile. Instead, take the necessary steps to refresh and rebuild your personal brand. It will take time and effort, but the rewards will be worth it.

Check out part two of this series for an in-depth guide on how to build a more authentic, positive personal brand.

VA wants to help you land your best-fit career and connect you with the professional development tools, education support and generous benefits you need to excel. Discover the joy of giving back to America’s Veterans—search opportunities and apply today.