Instructions: Reflective Journal
Develop a reflective journal about your personal online brand. 1000 words
Part A: Reflection on your personal online brand at start of the subject
Part B: Reflection on your personal online brand at end of the subject, plus a detailed action plan
Part A
Reflect upon your personal online brand before undertaking this subject: (The following bullet points must be clearly stated and answered.) – How are you currently presented online? – Is this how you would like to be seen by future employers? – What would you like to change about your current online profile?
Part B
At the end of the semester, reflect upon your personal online brand following the information gathered via this unit: – Relating to the content discussed during the semester (Look at the file named “Content to be used”), how has your view on your personal online brand changed? – Action plan (Follow the “exact” template) – What specific steps will you take to develop your personal brand and improve your career status? (see example below) – Reflect on your process of self-assessment and discuss any key thoughts, ideas or feelings or any other relevant information regarding your personal online brand ** The files named”Week …” should be used as references (not all of them but at least 5 of them.)
Other: Harvard – Page number is “mandatory” in in-text citation and in the reference list
Digital – Reflective Journal
Social media and technology strongly infiltrate today’s daily life, including the labor market. As noted by McCabe (2017), social media disrupts the traditional recruitment process. Unlike before, the majority of the firms today rely on online platforms in posting job vacancies, searching for potential candidates, and assessing their competencies. Johnson (2017) also observes that as firms shift to the use of media sites in hiring, the biggest challenge is imposed on potential candidates who must ensure that their information on qualifications, skills, ability to fit within the organization, and behavior as reflected in their postings and disclosures does not adversely affect their chances of being recruited. This dramatic change to digitization among employers compelled me to develop a personal online brand to enhance my social capital.
Part A
For about four years now, I have developed, maintained, and promoted my online brand, which was inspired by the ongoing digital changes in the labor market. Notably, my online brand consists of multiple social media tools, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where I share information about my qualifications, skills, and experiences to create a positive perception of myself among my target consumers- potential employers.
I am currently presented online as a professional credit controller with a passion for team building and skilled in accounting, management, and data entry. Based on my assessment, this information reflects the manner in which I would like to be seen by my future employers. As noted by Johnson (2017), the personal branding statement should allow potential employers to identify candidates’ vital skills and strengths. These metrics are captured in my branding statement, which highlights what I do, the manner in which I do it, and the professional skills that make me unique from the crowd.
Although my current online profile reflects my skills, strengths, and abilities in the labor market, I would like to change a few aspects of it. First, I perceive a lack of consistency in the manner in which I portray my brand, which may adversely affect my chances of being hired by potential employers. Notably, my posts on personal sites such as Instagram and Facebook conflict with my postings on professional sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter. On the one hand, I maintain a professional appearance in professional sites where I post news about the financial industry and personal blogs about the financial sector. On the other hand, I often upload photos with friends in social gatherings and “memes” on my Facebook and Instagram page, accessible to everyone who visits the sites. This aspect is a source of concern, as Labreque et al. argue that human resources have used social media sites in the past to observe potential employees for some time (cited by Johnson 2017). Arguably, the things I post on these personal sites may create an unwanted impression in the virtual world, thus adversely affecting my employability ranking.
Second, I perceive my online profile as outdated and unreflective of my current abilities and experience. A lot has changed since I first created my online brand a few years ago; I have gained experience in my profession and pursued other short courses. This information is not adequately reflected in my profile, and it may affect the impression that employers have about my competency. Arguably, potential employers may perceive me as an under-qualified candidate for their job positions.
Thirdly, I would like to change the appearance of my Twitter account to reflect my identity. Currently, the user name used on my Twitter handle does not match my surname, which likely makes it difficult for potential employers to locate my professional profile on this site. Therefore, it would be ideal to claim this Twitter handle to make it easy for employers to find me.
Part B
Information and knowledge gathered in this course have changed my view of my personal online brand’s adequacy. At the start of the subject, I perceived the four social media tools that I use to maintain and promote my brand as sufficient. However, the course activities have introduced me to multiple branding tools that can be used to optimize my social capital, which deems my current tools as inadequate. For example, Chen avers that students and employees can use tools such as Youtube, Quora, Slideshare, podcasts, wikis, and videocasts in personal branding (cited by Johnson, 2017). Notably, each tool has unique features that can be exploited to build on one’s brand. For example, Youtube is among the options for telling one’s story and demonstrating abilities (Johnson 2017). Similarly, blogs can be used to illustrate one’s voice and command of language by telling stories and demonstrating knowledge (Johnson 2017). The knowledge gathered by the end of the subject has proven my social media tools’ inadequacy, thus forming the basis for adopting additional tools to enhance my social capital.
Action Plan
Step Number | Action/justification | Timeline | Date Completed |
Adjust privacy settings on social media sites | Visit my social media accounts and ensure that the privacy setting is activated for personal sites that involve friends and family to prevent their accessibility to potential employers. | 45 minutes | 20/10/2020 |
Edit LinkedIn Account |
|
2 hours | 20/10/2020 |
Enhance my social media tools | Create a YouTube channel where I can share my professional stories | I hour | 20/10/2020 |
Edit Twitter Account | Log in to my Twitter account and edit my user name to reflect my surname, which can easily be located by potential employers. | 1 hour | 20/10/2020 |
Connect with people affiliated with my area of profession | · Connect with at least 15 people in my industry
· Review and locate potential employers within my region |
1 hour | 20/10/2020 |
Final Reflection
Overall, the process of self-assessment has helped me identify niches in my online brand and establish ideal action plans. For example, self-assessment has helped me identify my social media tools’ inadequacy and fostered the establishment of other tools that I can use to enhance my social capital. In my view, the planned action plan will help me promote my brand more than I previously did. Furthermore, the process of self-assessment has helped me understand that personal branding is not a one-time thing; it is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and modification. Notably, as I continue to advance in my profession and academics, I must ensure that I update my profile to portray my attainments among potential employers.
References
Johnson, M. (2017). ‘The importance of personal branding in social media: Educating students to create and manage their personal brand’, International Journal of Education and Social Science, 4(1), p21-27.
McCabe, M.B. (2017). ‘Social media marketing strategies for career advancement: an analysis of LinkedIn’, Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 29(1), p85-99.