I had Dream (Weaver)

In today’s media and internet driven world, finding your personal brand is vital for job and career opportunities. Online presence can be used as a marketing and promotional tool to brand an individual as a type of person. Success on the virtual platforms such as websites or social media could transform to real rewards in your career.

Very similar to a business’s mission statement, a personal brand is a form of true self-expression.  Personal branding is a way to market yourself through image and impression.  A great way to display your expertise in a clean professional matter is a website. The website contains a short synopsis of your college career, a portfolio of notable projects such as photos or articles and finally contact information so any future employers can reach you. Designing the website itself establishes image through your profile picture and header.

Professional social media accounts should also be linked into your website. Building a brand or online presence allows for networking with other co-workers as building an audience. Linking your website to social media shows your ability to network. Twitter is a platform that can be utilized in many different ways, to reach not only on a personal level but also on a professional level. Make sure your brand message is consistent across all platforms including your resume, Twitter, Blogger, Facebook and LinkedIn profile must be in sync. As a communications major, you must be able to showcase your knowledge and expertise with technology. Not only does it show you can market yourself but that you are easily accessible. It is important to show your future employer that you can market their products or goals as well.

The process of making a website is fairly easy and user friendly. Dreamweaver provides a complete set of tools for making, editing and maintaining a website. It is crucial that your website is visually pleasing to your audience. This means using Photoshop to create web ready images throughout your content page to your portfolio page. Spacing is also vital for a clean and professional website. This includes spacing between pictures and text. The ability to code is a great skill set and while it is challenging, having a website that functions cohesively. This includes the ability to link straight to your social media sites as well as your phone number and email. Creating the website itself was challenging for some. It was very easy for some classmates to fall behind perhaps due to not listening to directions. Being able to not only listen to directions but apply your knowledge in different locations of your site will give you a successful website.

While college embraces aspects of comradery, in the end your fellow peers are your competition. Having a full function website gives you not only the experience of being able to code and market yourself but also the ability to market yourself in a technology driven culture.