Building your brand through reputation

Do you know what other people think of you, or what your real value is?

 Have you Googled yourself?

Do you know what kind of presence you have on the Internet?

Your online and offline presence mean everything in terms of your success today, and it is important that you develop and manage your personal brand. Reputation and relationships are coming to define the way all investment and financial decisions occur in our hyper-connected world. Your online and offline networks, the clarity you have about who you are and what you have to offer, your behavior and impact with others in all aspects of your life, add up to your social capital, power and influence.

Whether you're looking for a new position, starting a business or trying to position your company and/or yourself as a player worth some consideration in the shifting economy of today; self-awareness and development are required for an effective marketing strategy.

Because of the multitude of choices that the Internet provides for employers and consumers, reputation management, clarity and trust are the advantage. Maya Rodale of The Huffington Post interviewed one of the leading thinkers on the way the Internet is changing the economy. Josh Klein, author of ''Reputation Economics: Why Who You Know is Worth More than What You Have,'' explains that traditional financial institutions are giving way to networks based on trust and relationships, that is, reputation economics.

It's no big leap to understand that consumers have trouble trusting corporations and institutions. The key is to understand how you fit into this new model, and how you can thrive within it. Klein advises that you invest in relationships; provide real value to others; and seek win-win situations that build worth for both you and others.

So what's your personal brand? And how are you making it known?

Career Tips

• Work to clarify who you are as well as what you have to offer
• Align your online and offline existence, ensure consistency
• Understand how you fit into the reputation economics scene

Source: Oksana Tashakova, Special to Jobs & Careers, gulfnews.com
The writer is HR Training & Development Expert, Academia of Human Potential