How to use social media for Personal Branding

                                            (picture courtesy of siguidine.aminus3.com, @raoulandre designs)

Personal branding is a term used to describe how individuals may market themselves in a unique way to stand out from the highly competitive job market. Since getting a job is becoming tougher, you’ll have to brand yourself to be able to convince employers that you’re the right person they need. Social media has proven itself to be a very useful tool for personal branding and I’m sure you are on at least one social media platform. Hey don’t get so excited!!! There are millions of users on social media; hence so much ‘noise’ is created. You still need to personally brand yourself to even get heard talk-less of being seen. So, how can you use social media to brand yourself?

     

•      Know where your target audience is on social media

Knowing where employer’s commune is the first step to personal branding on social media. Are they on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Google+? You have to answer these questions to know where you need to put more efforts. How do I know the employer’s favorite hangout?  The most reliable social media platforms where you’ll find employers are Linkedin and Twitter. They open you up to a world of opportunities when used wisely, and place you right above the employer’s wish list. I’m a perfect example!!! My activeness within my industry on these platforms made so many influencers take notice. I had job opportunities coming my way as I branded myself as a savvy internet marketer who had something peculiar to offer. You too can get people proposing job opportunities to you. It takes hard work, patience and….

•      Knowing how to interact on social media

This is probably the most important part of the whole story. You’ll have to do things the right way to get noticed! On Twitter for example, using hashtags which are familiar within your industry is a great way of taking part in discussions. How do I know which hashtag is familiar within my industry? To be fair, that’s a tricky question. There are so many hashtags that are being used within industries and knowing which one ‘sells’ best is a challenging affair. Putting so many may be seen as spam and putting very few may not get the attention of the people you wish. I use twubs.com to explore hashtag opportunities. I see which hashtag is the most used within a particular industry and tweet using the hashtag very often; hence making my voice heard within that industry. For Linkedin, the key is for you to build a strong profile. Put links and images of your past and present projects and be explicit with your cover letter. There are millions of groups on Linkedin, and joining your industry related groups is also a great way to get your voice heard.

Being active on social media isn't the only way for you to brand yourself. There are other ways you might exploit to stand out from the competition. Visit http://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/article/what-is-your-personal-brand-/ for more tips on personal branding Our www.njorku.com platform offers you several job opportunities, giving you the chance to make choices. But a confident, unique individual will easily land the job he chose, simply because of personal branding. 

 Don’t lose the job because of the way you dress!!!

 Ever wondered why you didn't get the job? Maybe it was your dressing!!! Many HR companies name improper dressing as one of the reason you might not pass the job interview. From your hair to your clothes, and your shoes, all of these will be used as indices to evaluate your self-confidence, self-care and self-worth. In brief, the interviewer will have a positive or negative impression of you depending on your appearance.

We've assembled a couple of tips to help you dress right for the job and shoot your way into the interviewer’s heart.

• ·         Are you going for a top executive or management role? Then you need to “look the part”! Dressing up in a high quality suit which fits you perfectly is really good business. It also makes you feel good and very much confident about yourself. Put a smile on your face and walk through that door with your impeccable dressing.

• ·         If the organization has a dress code, you’ll need to appear in it. This also involves you doing some research about the organization you wish to work for prior to the interview date. That’s even the first thing to do if you really want to land yourself a job at the company. Put on the colourful tie and walk through that door full of confidence...You’re on the right track.

• ·         As a woman, your makeup and jewelry shouldn't be too conspicuous. Heels aren't a so bad idea, but you must be able to walk on them comfortably. You skirt and your top or blouse shouldn't be revealing. It may be seen by the interviewer as a means of seduction.

• ·         For you the man, a proper shave with a little smear of after shave enhances your image. You might go for beards but make sure it’s properly trimmed.

• ·         As for briefcases and hand bags, make sure they are “smart” and organized. A well organized accessory reflects self-organization; and that’s what the interviewer wishes to see. Perfumes and deodorants should be worn sparingly as it might have adverse effects in a small interview room.

Now “you look the part”, just left for you to show you can “act the part.” So, what are you waiting for? Visit www.njorku.com and upload your CV to start receiving job alerts directly to your email.

Njorku Inc.: A true brand made in Cameroon

 The 5^th edition of Barcamp-Cameroon was held last Saturday 26^th October 2013 at the University Institute of the Diocese campus in the small town of Buea (UIDB). This was the first time Cameroon’s premier digital and Tech event was organized in the town which harbors the second highest peak in Africa. IT entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, journalist, students etc. from all over Cameroon and the world clamored the campus premises to participate in the numerous presentations on offer. Njorku Inc. was very much in attendance with Mambe Churchill Nanje, and I the newly recruited Andre Raoul being part of the happy campers.  

Njorku Inc.: A true brand made in Cameroon

Under the theme “Made in Cameroon”, this year’s Barcamp-Cameroon sought to promote innovative tech ideas borne in Cameroon. Notable local digitech brands like Bantou Telecom, Wasamundi and our very own Njorku Inc. created a convenient techie atmosphere for aspiring brands and entrepreneurs to feed on. Our www.njorku.com platform needed no formal introduction and was once again the focus of some discussions during the one daylong event.  Our pan African brand has its humble beginnings from Cameroon, with its founder also from and based in Cameroon. We are an example of a small idea “made in Cameroon” being inspired by dedicated entrepreneurs with a big vision to make a change. The name njorku (elephant) and our brand logo were inspired by local Cameroonian traditions, and we keep our brand mantra around our Cameroonian roots.

Njorku Inc.: A customer focused brand

It is worth mentioning the lack of proper market driven strategies amongst most Cameroonian startups. Most go after their lofty ideas without actually identifying the problem they wish to solve. We took time during the Barcamp to listen to the many great ideas on offer and always trying to give some advice in return. This clearly brought out our customer experience obsession; always ready to listen to www.njorku.com users and give career advices where applicable. This 2013 Barcamp-Cameroon edition was a great platform for us to talk about customer experience to our peers and make them see what we are doing to stand out in that domain. We emphasized on how such can be done within all budgets, with social media being the most affordable way to increase brand awareness.

So, what did Njorku Inc. learn from Barcamp Cameroon 2013?

A lot I’ll say. For me it was the first time I was here and I really enjoyed myself. I met great minds within Cameroon’s digitech industry and discussed brilliant ideas. For Njorku Inc. the Barcamp-Cameroon 2013 was special to say the least. We had newer connections, knew how to serve users of the njorku platform better, and got a few gifts along the way. We were so proud to experience the so many great ideas, made in Cameroon.