What Robin has learned about personal branding

What have I (Robin) learned about personal branding? I could list up all the topics we as a group have covered throughout the semester, but I will use my last blog post to describe how I will use my new knowledge in the future.

In my blog post “What content to have in your online portfolio” I was emphasizing that online portfolios were not exclusively for designers, photographer and such. However, before starting this blog project that was exactly what I thought. Oh, have I learned! Though I will not develop an online portfolio right now, I have gained a lot of useful knowledge that I have already used and will use in the near future.

First of all, I have changed the way I interact on social media sites - for me that is Facebook and LinkedIn. I have become way more conscious about what I post in regards to pictures, status updates and commenting. I believe my account has become more professional than it was four months earlier and though there is still room for improvement (old habits die hard), I am confident that I have nothing to worry about if I show my account to a potential employer.

Networking is another tool I have found very insightful and useful. Though I am an exchange student and will leave the U.S. in a few months, this experience have been great, and I have become more confident in talking positive about myself to potential employers or connections and in general to interact in a business minded environment, something I have definitely lacked in the past. To see how alumni engage with current student was a very positive surprise – Thank you, PLU alumni!      

LinkedIn is definitely something I have to improve in the near future. Soon I will start looking for jobs and my LinkedIn account is nowhere near being decent. Nonetheless, this blog project has taught me how important LinkedIn is and when I return to Denmark, improving my account will be first on my list. The good news is that I know exactly how to do it!

Soon I will be looking for a job, whether that be a full-time or a study job, all my new knowledge about common job hunting mistakes, what to put and what not to put in a job resume will also become very useful knowledge and something that will help me optimize my chances of getting a job.

For now I will keep my personal brand as what you find on my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts (some will argue Google search as well). As mentioned, this project have made me more conscious about how I interact on my social media sites, and with that more professional and that is the outcome I am very happy about.