What's your brand? How do you create one? How well are you managing it on and offline? Gain practical knowledge and action steps through this interactive workshop.

1. CREATING AND
ENHANCING YOUR DIGITAL
BRAND
Maria L. Tomaino
Associate Director
Alumni Career Services
Linkedin.com/in/mlto
maino
@mtomain
mltomain@fiu.edu

2. WHAT’S YOUR BRAND?
How you describe yourself = How others
describe you
• Who you are and what you stand for
• Needs to be consistent online and offline

3. WHAT MAKES UP YOUR PERSONAL
BRAND
360 degree view
Education, skills, traits, abilities, experiences, knowledge
Peer and supervisor opinions and recommendations
Online and offline activity
Social media profiles and interactions (Facebook, Google, LinkedIn,
Twitter)
Resume, cover letter, applications
Dress and appearance
Logos, marketing, business cards
Portfolio/video resume

4. HOW TO CREATE & IDENTIFY YOUR
BRAND
What are you most passionate about?
• Activities, interests, situations, challenges that energize you
What are your top 4 personal attributes?
• Creative, innovative, collaborative, resourceful, connected, intuitive, genuine
What are your 4 greatest strengths or skills?
• Identifying problems, leading, motivating, communicating, problem solving
What differentiates you for your competition?
• Sense of humor, international or cultural experiences, knowledge
Adapted from Job-Hunt.org: Creating Your Authentic Personal Brand Statement

5. YOU NEED TO BE IN CONTROL OF
YOUR PERSONAL, DIGITAL BRAND.
Digital footprint
• Anything that you upload or post yourself
Digital shadow
• What others post about you (can also be offline activity)
Others may have the same name as you!
• “When you share a name with many other people, you end up sharing,
effectively, a history and reputation with them”- Judith Donath, researcher
at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society
Full article: Doppelnamers: When Your Digital Identity Is Also Someone Else’s – by Elise
Hu, NPR All Tech Considered 10/31/14
Socioeconomics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxpa4dNVd3c

6. PRIVACY IS DEAD.
• Your personal information is on the internet – whether you put it there or
not
• Bank information, forms/online registration, email, addresses, pictures &
images, online shopping purchases, internet browsing, credit card
information, social media, news and press articles, iTunes, cloud accounts,
mobile phone info, etc.
• Once you post, you don’t own the rights of the content anymore, the
platform/website does. (example: read Facebook’s privacy agreement)
• If you have private thought, picture, that’s what journals are for! If you don’t
want anyone (or certain people) to see it, don’t put it on the internet. You are
making it other’s people’s business because you are sharing the content. It’s
not called private media.

7. FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
• Fundamental principal of democracy: the right to express information and
ideas, and the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
• Limitations on speech relate to slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition,
hate speech, copyright violation, etc.
• Freedom of speech, including what you post on the internet, is not free of
consequences
• Just because you CAN say it, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
• Wait before you post- raw emotion may not yield rational thought. Ask
yourself: “Would I want this on a billboard?”
• If you are passionate about a topic, express your opinion articulately,
intelligently, without intent to harm or inflate your ego. More productive
ways to take action – join or start a cause
 US News: Freedom to Keep Your Thoughts to Yourself http://bit.ly/1rZGWhf

8. HOW TO OPTIMIZE SOCIAL MEDIA
Profiles
Professional photo
Headline – specific to industry
Detailed profile and experience
Skills and keywords
Recommendations
Projects, professional development,
awards
Activity
Follow companies and industry leaders (research)
Connect with professionals and alumni
Take conversations offline – meet connections for coffee,
conduct informational interviews
Join groups
Participate in conversations, #tweetups, comment on
blog posts
Post status updates – link articles
Re-engage well established connections
Job search via LinkedIn – see who in your network is
connected to the opportunity

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14. CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS
• Find FIU Alumni – search by industry or job title
• View who you are connected to and who they are connected to
• What do you have in common? How can you help each other?
• Take conversations offline – meet the contact in person for an info
interview
• Join groups, comment on posts, post relevant content
• Follow industries and organizations. Self-directed search.

15. LASTLY
Show gratitude
Say thank you and give others recognition
Humility (not “humble bragging”)
Be authentic – your true self
Find a career and industry that embraces you and one that you can
add value and make a difference
 There are many ways to express yourself through activities, creative outlets,
professional development, clubs/organizations, etc.
 We have many passions in life. What passion do you want to get compensated for?
What passion is worth the risk and work? Go for it!

16. THANK YOU!
Maria L. Tomaino
Associate Director of Alumni Career Services
@mtomain
Fiualumni.com
mltomain@fiu.edu
Linkedin.com/in/mltomaino