Ru Zi Ke Jiao

[This post is for: EVERYONE]

NASH: I’ve written before about you having a portfolio instead of a resume (CV). That portfolio should include some type of web “home”, and by home, I don’t mean Facebook, MySpace or Renren page – unless the image you’re going for includes: bland; normal; UNremarkable; one of millions instead of one out of millions, etc… Much better would be your blog and BEST would be your own domain – think Ru Zi Ke Jiao.com or Professornash.com.

Remember, each of us is a brand. So what you do, or don’t do, forms part of your brand message. When I spend my free time helping the disabled and teaching the poor, that becomes part of my brand, part of who I am. Of course, that’s not why I do it, which leads to another interesting point. You can do things in a cynical or insincere manner just to ‘enhance’ your brand. But I don’t recommend it. Instead, I recommend following your heart and let people either accept or reject you on the basis of who you actually are. In simpler terms, don’t wear masks.

The following all come from an MSNBC.com article entitled: Smart blogging can boost your career.

“No one has to have a blog,” said Allen Johnston, a social media professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Business. “It can be purposeful if it’s professional, well thought out and intelligent,” he said. “But it’s a different thing if you just ramble without a strategic plan. You’re opening yourself up to disaster.”

Maureen Crawford Hentz, the U.S. manager of talent acquisition for Sylvania in Danvers, Mass. says that “…professional blogs that focus on the industry, that are done well and show a passion are indeed a plus, she added. But that’s only if the blogger posts regularly, provides well-researched information, and the blog isn’t riddled with spelling or punctuation mistakes…”

J.T. O’Donnell, a workplace consultant and author of “CareerRealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career,” is a big advocate of blogging, even for those currently happy with their jobs. “None of us will have only one career in our lifetime,” she said. “To assume we don’t need a blog for a particular career we are in now is short-sighted and could hurt us in the long-run,” she added. “By sharing this in a blog, even a Twitter feed so you are simply micro-blogging, you are creating a brand that showcases who you are as a worker. You are letting employers inside your head — and that is vital,” she said.

Heather Huhman, president of Come Recommended, an online community for entry-level job seekers, is also a big cheerleader of blogs as a career booster — provided you have the time and motivation to make it worth your while. “Are they absolutely required? Of course not,” she said. “But I think they can be helpful these days and help you set yourself apart.”

Today’s question: What do you want your personal brand keywords to be? Mine are educator, leader and humanitarian. I recommend that you keep it to three or less, anymore than that and your brand message risks becoming muddled. Come on, play with me. Leave your answer in my comments section.