Job hunting? Then you're all too familiar with the concept of "selling yourself" – convincing a prospective employer that you're the right person for the position. And in this job market, making that "sale" has become ever more competitive. As pools of qualified and aggressive employment-seeking applicants grow larger, you have to stand out – show how you're "above and beyond" – the rest.

As a freelance writer, I put most of my effort into selling story ideas to editors, but I know that I'm also selling myself as well – demonstrating that I can be relied upon to fulfill an assignment and that I'm flexible and easy to work with. And some writers do sell their work purely because of who they are – David Sedaris and Anna Quindlen come to mind.

But now human resources experts recommend that employment seekers broaden their notion of "selling themselves" to selling their personal brands. And what best represents your personal brand – despite whatever personality and aptitude you attempt to convey in a cover letter or resume – is your online persona. Whatever pops up when someone GOOGLES you.

I became fascinated by this "personal branding" thing after I read this recent New York Times article by Alina Tugend: "Putting Yourself Out There on a Shelf to Buy." As soon as I put my paper down, I went to Google myself – motivated by this:

"'If you don’t brand yourself, Google will brand you,' said Sherry Beck Paprocki, co-author of the forthcoming book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Branding Yourself” (Alpha, an imprint of Penguin, May 2009). That means you need to try to control what information comes up when your name is searched online by a potential employer, as it inevitably will be."

To my relief, no embarrassing pictures or incriminating information came up. But in regard the Dynamic-and-Intriguing-Personal-Brand-of-ME that I would like to imagine exists, I found that my professional website and LinkedIn profile came up rather short. But at least I have a start on online social networking (profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn), which is recommended by personal branding experts who say that your personal brand is central to the communities we're apart of.

So why should moms care? I think so many of us reach out to the web soon after having children to connect with others on a personal level. We find like-minded parents, and we ask questions about sleep schedules, potty training, and preschool. Yet we also have our professional careers to maintain and the desire to keep separate who we are when we're looking for teething remedies and who we are when we're closing deals and seeking new professional opportunities.

A 2007 survey by Execunet found that 83% of recruiters use search engines to learn more about candidates. A googlebot can easily illuminate just how you feel about extended breastfeeding with a non-discriminating sweep of a chat room in which you've left a comment and signed with your full name. We have to take care of our online reputations and protect our personal information.

But I feel moms could also have an advantage when it comes to personal branding. When we have kids, our opportunities expand to meet new people and become part of new communities (both online and off). In fact, Tugend emphasized that your personal branding efforts should continue when not behind the computer screen:

"It’s also known as presenting yourself well. Don’t go out in sweats and old T-shirts, even if you’re just going to the local coffee shop. You never know who you might run into. Have business cards — it’s not necessary to be elaborate, just something with your name and contact information — to hand out."

Recently at the playground, I met a mom and we were talking about balancing work and kids. She said she worked at the corporate offices of Girl Scouts and said they had an occasional need for writers. It would have been a perfect opportunity for sharing my business card – if I had had one with me!

So although a part of me bristles at the thought of creating a "Brand Me," I have to admit from a professional standpoint, it's practical and smart to start thinking in this way. If you're intrigued as well, here are a few additional "personal branding" resources to check out:

Social Networks to Join (perhaps just start with one): LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Additional Reading:

"Putting Yourself Out There on a Shelf To Buy" - NYT

"The Brand Called You" - Fast Company

"Gain a Competitive Edge by Establishing a Personal Brand" - About.com

"Building a Page on the Web" - WSJ

Update on Monday, March 30, 2009 at 4:47PM by Erin

This post also appeared in the Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by Wide Open Wallet. Thanks to Ashley for including me. I hope you'll check it out!