Big news for your personal brand: Google Profiles

April 25, 7:44 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

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I have to admit, I heard about Google Profiles the day the company made the announcement and was not all that impressed. I started making one for myself but stopped when I realized how un-stylized they were compared to LinkedIn and Facebook. But, it turns out, that’s not the appeal to Google Profiles at all.

After seeing a flood of articles about Google Profiles in the last two days, I went straight to the expert—Dan Schawbel, author of “Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success” and the publisher of both the Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine. 

Heather Huhman: How can Google Profiles be used as a personal branding tool during your internship or entry-level job search?

Dan Schawbel: Google established Google Profiles to compete directly with social network search, such as Facebook. Since Google ranks these profiles on the first page of Google search results for people's names, it has become a mandatory step in protecting and securing one's online identity. If you have a unique name, then your profile will appear when someone searches for you. If you have a common name, then you will have to compete with others who share your name and only three profiles will appear out of everyone’s in the search results. To be one of those three profiles, you have to complete your profile as thoroughly as possible.

Google Profiles can be used as a personal branding tool during an internship or entry-level job search to appeal to recruiters who are already searching for your name in Google—and aren't using other search engines like Facebook. Also, you can use your Google Profile on your Web sites and as the URL on your résumé to give hiring managers more information about yourself.

HH: What aspects of Google Profiles should students and recent graduates be sure to complete and why? Do you have any "best practice" tips?

DS: The most important thing you need to do is register for a Google or Gmail account using your full name, before someone else does. Then, when you finish filling out your Google Profile, you can use that account name (your full name) as part of your vanity URL. For example, my email address is dan.schawbel@gmail.com and my Google Profile is http://www.google.com/profiles/dan.schawbel. These URL rank high in Google for your name.  

The next thing you need to do when you fill out your profile is to put a check mark where it says "Display my full name so I can be found in search." By doing so, it allows your name to appear in Google search results for your name. If you don't check this, it won't and you will suffer.

Just like your résumé, you'll want to fill out all the fields to best position you—relative to your current situation—for a job. This means you should fill out your basic information, places you've worked, and all your Web sites and social network profiles as links—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, your blog, etc. When you add links, just as you would with LinkedIn, use the name of that site. This will help you optimize it better and the link will be more valuable. Your bio should be filled out professionally, with a summary of your work experience, interests, education and more.  

HH: Is there anything else you would like to add?

DS: Don't wait a year or so to get your Google Profile, or it will be too late. Google Profiles are starting to get a lot of traction and press, so you want to beat the crowd and establish your profile today. I have a feeling that these profiles will expand in the future, and solidifying this part of your online identity is a requirement for personal branding.