Now It’s Easier than Ever to Build the “Brand Called You”

Robert Scoble was apparently offered a job at a competitor… hm.. could it have anything to do with his recent post about compensation at MS?   Roberts response: “I told him I didn’t want any job that required a resume.”  Me neither. There is a better way. 

Tom Peters (wow, who’s that on the left sidebar?) has been preaching this for years: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You”  

What better way to building one’s own brand than through blogging?  Resumes are tailored for a particular job, and let’s face it, often “cosmetically enhanced”.  If you’ve been blogging for years, you certainly did not do it with a particular job in mind; your blog is likely to be a true reflection of who you really are, what you are an expert in, your communication skills, your priorities … YOU as a whole person, not as a candidate for a specific job. Noah Kagan says it perfectly: 
“You can learn SO much about a persons feelings, thoughts, actions, work ethic to name just a few things by reading a persons blog. I think more so than anything Resumes include so much bogus or ultra-fluffed information that it is hard to determine the quality of a candidate or get a good feeling of how this person will fit in your company. But spending 10-15 minutes reading entries about what they do or how they organize their thoughts/daily activities you can really learn a lot.”  He than goes on offering practical steps in 4 Easy Steps to Avoid Making a Resume.

I fully agree. In fact I am about to launch a test to prove this soon.  Robert, since the larger the statistical sample (in this case readers) the more reliable the results .. . I hope I’ll get some link love when the test comes … in the name of science.

Update (3/13):  Vinnie chimes in, it’s worth reading!

Update (4/17): The Boston Globe says Blogs are essential to a good career (hat tip: BL Ochman)

Tags: Blogging, blogs, brands, branding, brand you, brand called you, tom peters, tompeters, resume