Review: Me 2.0

Personal branding is a hot topic right now. Since competition in the job market is getting more intense, you need a way to differentiate yourself. You need a way to stand out from the crowd.

Me 2.0Personal branding is a good way to do that. The book Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success by Dan Schawbel aims to help you build your personal brand in this connected world. In the author’s words:

Me 2.0 describes the history of personal branding; how the Internet has revolutionized career development; and how individuals can leverage social media for personal empowerment, self-management, and networking.

Let’s look inside the book.

Inside the Book

Me 2.0 is divided into three parts with a total of ten chapters.

Part 1. The Rise of Personal Branding

1. The Brand Called YOU!

Personal branding can make you more valuable. To develop your personal brand, you need to find the unique value you can offer to the world and let everyone know about it. You also need to be authentic and increase your visibility.

2. Millennials Enter the Workforce

These days, generation Y (roughly born between 1981 to 2001) is entering the workforce. Unlike previous generations, Gen Y grows with technology and that becomes their competitive advantage.

3. Introducing Commander YOU!

You need to be a commander of your career. Social media gives you the power to build a strong presence of your own. Four qualities you need as a career commander are leadership, passion, teamwork, and confidence.

4. The Many Aspects of Personal Branding

Personal branding has eight aspects: marketing/branding, networking, human resources, career development, search engine optimization, social media, entrepreneurship, and public relations.

Part 2. Command Your Career in Four Steps

5. Step 1 – Discover Your Brand

To discover your personal brand, you need to know who you are. Through the discovery process you should find your personal value statement, a plan to differentiate your brand, and a marketing strategy.

6. Step 2 – Create Your Brand

You need to have strong online and offline presence in order to create your brand. To do that, use relevant marketing tools that make up your personal branding toolkit. Elements of your personal branding toolkit include your resume, portfolio, and website, among others.

7. Step 3 – Communicate Your Brand

Communicating your brand is essential for your success. You should create your personal press kit to make it easy for others to understand who you are and what you do. You can also contribute to various media outlets to promote your brand.

8. Step 4 – Maintain Your Brand

It’s important that you maintain your brand reputation online. Be aware when something negative about you shows up and take the necessary steps to respond to it. Also be careful with identity theft.

Part 3. Now You Have Command

9. Your Entrepreneurial Conquest

Becoming an entrepreneur is a good career choice. There are several characteristics that entrepreneurs have: vision, creativity, tenacity, passion, problem-solving skills, and competitive drive.

10. Life-Changing Results

You need to start building your brand today. Give value to others sincerely, support your network, and see new opportunities come your way.

Conclusion

Me 2.0 clearly explains how to build your personal brand using social media technologies. If you want to be a free agent in this connected world, this book is useful because it teaches you how to increase your value and marketability.

3 Comments

  1. Interesting review, I will add this book to my wish list.

  2. Insightful. I need to pick this up. Great review.

  3. Frode and Omar,
    Yes, this is a good book to read. It will make you think about your career.

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