Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post

Let me start by saying, happy International Women’s Day! I hope you’ll take the time today to think about the women in your life that inspire you & be sure to let them know. Onto blogging — One of the questions I’ve been getting a ton lately is how I nabbed a feature in Southern Living Magazine. It’s a great question but the answer is pretty simple; it was all networking. This topic can be intimidating for many so I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned about personal branding and social media etiquette when it comes to networking. Be sure to keep reading because I’ll also share some real life examples!

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Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | The Outfit

We’re going to talk A LOT about networking today so I feel like I should start with this big disclaimer; I would not wear a tee shirt {or in this case sweatshirt} dress to any type of job interview or networking event. That being said: can we all come to an agreement that the sweatshirt dress is much more flattering than the standard t-shirt dress? Unless you’re pencil shaped, the fabric is going to cling to you and usually not be super flattering. This is my PSA that you should go for thicker tee shirt dresses or opt for the sweatshirt material dress. They’re more forgiving, flattering and this one from Pink Blush even has some side ruching to give you that leeway to get two sides instead of one.

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Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | The Finishing Touches

The heathered teal material is perfect for the lounging everyone does as it rains for 500 years before spring officially starts. You can throw this on with sneakers or slip on something heeled to look a little more put together, but you’re still rocking a super soft dress. I knew I was going to be carrying this bold clutch, so I opted for the rest of my jewelry and accessories to be complementary. These mint ball drop earrings were a clearance find at the outlets last year and while the exact style isn’t available, NY & Company has a TON of fun statement earrings in right now for under $10. I pulled out a mint necklace to match; I’ve had this one for years and haven’t gotten rid of it because I just really love the way it looks. Finally, I finished up the look with neutral booties {still available in black and brown!} and my favorite pair of tortoise sunglasses.

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | Understand Your Personal Brand

Honestly, this could be an entire blog series but let’s just start out with a definition. Personal branding is how you present yourself and your career. Think about things like how you plan for first impressions, the “pocket questions” you ask, and what you deem as appropriate {and inappropriate behavior} in public settings with others. There’s not one right way to brand yourself as it really is something that looks different for each and every person. Something that you may not know is that a ton of blogging revolves around personal branding. Bloggers and influencers build a personal brand and that is how we present content – with a consistent voice, aesthetic, etc.

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Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | My Personal Brand

You may be wondering: what’s your personal brand Nicole? With What Nicole Wore, I focus on a colorful aesthetic. Written content is funny as I do try to insert my sense of humor and voice as much as I can but I try to be relatable. If you look at the analytics, my primary audience is women between the ages of 25-34. {Love all of you that are men, younger, and older that are reading!} While this information plays into lots of blogging decisions I make, it also is something I take into account when I’m introducing myself {in person or online} and how I present myself.

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If I introduce myself as an affordable style blogger and I’m decked out in my brand new Gucci belt, Louboutin heels, and a Louis Vuitton bag, it’s easy for someone to say, “hmmm this doesn’t add up.” To effectively network, you have to understand your personal brand and how you come across.

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | The Practice of Networking

I wrote about my experience of being a sorority woman earlier this week, but in my mind this is one of the BEST things sororities prepare young women for: small talk. Sorority recruitment consists of sitting down with woman after woman and asking her about her hometown, major, what she likes about XYZ university campus, and her favorite hobbies. I’ve mentioned that I’m a huge introvert so it’s no surprise that I’m not a fan of small talk.

One of the ways I’ve learned to get better at it is having my “pocket topics.” Pocket topics are written on a mental index card and are essentially 5-10 topics or questions that work to start a conversation with anyone. These may fluctuate depending on how much time you have to prepare for a networking opportunity but it’s good to have a generic “card” for those events and meetings that just pop up at the last minute. Try to make sure that the majority are open ended so that the other person has a chance to open up and you have an opportunity to show interest by asking follow up questions.

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | Have Pocket Topics

A few of my generic pocket topics:

• Where are you from? What do you like & dislike about it? Where’s your favorite place that you’ve lived?
• Ask about their career? What initially sparked their interest there? What’s their favorite thing about it?
• What’s important to you and how do you give back? {People LOVE to talk about this one & talking about family, charity, or a cause can really be great for conversation.}

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Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | Know Who You Want To Meet

If you have time before a networking event, pinpoint the people {or person} you want to introduce yourself to and then do your research! Don’t do a deep dive and bring up their college boyfriend’s new fiancée or anything, but check out their LinkedIn and don’t be afraid to bring up career accomplishments as relevant or things you have in common. What this sounds like: “I read the article you tweeted about and really found XYZ aspect interesting,” “I saw that you’re an alumna of UK; I graduated in 2007! What was your favorite place to eat in Lexington?” People like feeling like you’re interested in them so be sure to listen and ask follow up questions about things they say {that you’re genuinely interested in!}

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | What Not To Say

I already mentioned not to do a deep dive and bring up super personal information, you also want to be sure to come across as professional. Most of us can think of some things we’d say to a friend that aren’t appropriate to share at the office. My general rule of thumb is not to bring up politics or religion as these can be personal and hot button topics. {Obviously, if you work in politics or a faith-based or related industry, this would be completely appropriate to bring up.}

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A big part of being professional is not bad mouthing or speaking poorly about other people or companies. You never know who is connected, friends with someone else, etc. This is something I always stress but especially true in smaller markets; I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met someone new in Louisville only to realize a few minutes later, we have a mutual acquaintance. Don’t burn any bridges that you don’t have to.

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | Pin This Post for Later

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Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | The Social Media Factor

Real life confession: how I portray myself on social media is only a portion of “who I am.” As I mentioned earlier, there’s comments and activities that are acceptable in small groups of people you know that wouldn’t be appropriate in front of your 90-year-old grandmother. That is something that is always in the back of my mind when making social media posts. While posting an Instagram video of myself while driving may not be offensive to my friend Michelle, my mom would be furious that I’m filming and driving. Keep in mind your language, behavior, comments, and even engagement on social media; you really never know who may see it.

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Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | Don’t Do This!

Activity I heavily limit including on social media:

• Cursing
• Drinking/appearing sloppy
• Sharing my location in real time {admittedly, more of a safety precaution}
• Inappropriate hand gestures
• Suggestive comments or clothing

Activity I straight up avoid on social media:

• Drug use
• Bashing former employers or coworkers
• Going on full on angry rants
• Posting racy photos of myself {or others}
• Liking or commenting on photos that include any of the above

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | What Does Your Social Media Say About You?

While these lists may seem like common sense, I can assure you that I’ve seen posts exhibiting all of this behavior. Chances are you’ve at some point done one of the above things, on or off line, and I want to clearly state that it doesn’t make you a bad person or less qualified. However, we live in an age where one of the first things people do is look someone up on Google and check out their social media. Your resume may say “young professional with experience in customer service looking to pursue a career in accounting,” while your Instagram or Twitter says, “oversharer that exhibits anger issues and uses foul language when their ex is brought up.” Do you really want to miss out on a job over a picture of you drunkenly crawling on the floor at New Year’s Eve?

In this day and age, you should be embracing social media as part of your personal brand. Make sure that every post is a good representation of who you are both personally and professionally. {Personal aside: we all slip up at times and make a post in bad taste. Be sure to untag, make photos private, remove from Story, etc. as soon as you can and keep gray area posts a rarity.}

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | My Personal Stories of Networking

If you’re local to Louisville, you may have spotted me on the cover of Today’s Woman Now in Kroger, at the Y, and elsewhere. But how did it come to be? One of the editors saw me waiting outside a bathroom at Thurby last year. I kid you not. When she came over and complimented me on my outfit, I mentioned that I wrote a style blog. After talking about some of our favorite trends that we were seeing, I handed her a business card and we parted ways. Fast forward eight months, and I get an email asking if I’d be available to appear in the Derby issue of the magazine. It truly was an opportunity that presented itself because I felt confident talking about What Nicole Wore as a brand.

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Networking can be small.  About six years ago I was working part time in retail and a girl we hired on for holiday ended up being a sorority sister from UofL.  We got along great, but rarely talked about our sorority until months later, she asked if I’d think about volunteering for the board she was on.  I can honestly say I wouldn’t be an involved alumna without that connection Emily and I made and then realizing what we had in common.

Networking in Real Life: Personal Branding & What Not to Post | How I Ended Up in Southern Living

Networking can be big. In September, I drove out to Lexington for an event at Draper James. Reese Witherspoon was on the cover of the September issue of Southern Living Magazine so they had celebration parties at each store.  When I saw the event page mentioned that a magazine editor would be there, I decided to go thinking I may get the opportunity to introduce myself. {And if not, I’d get to eat one of the Nothing Bundt Cakes that Draper James always has at events.} Admittedly, I felt like I was a little minion talking to a head honcho, but I introduced myself, talked a little bit about my blog, asked her about how she’d ended up at Southern Living, and handed her a business card at the end.

No biggie right? A couple days later, she emailed me saying she’d looked at my social media while at the airport waiting for her return flight and was looking forward to reading my blog when she got home. {Let this be another reminder to clean up your social media!} A couple weeks later, another editor reached out. She asked if I’d be interested in being featured in the magazine. What I’m saying is, I literally ended up with a three page spread in Southern Living Magazine because I wasn’t afraid to introduce myself, give out a business card, and be friendly via email. You never know when a networking opportunity is going to pop up so be ready, be suave, be yourself, and don’t think that anyone is too big to talk to.

Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see more posts like this and what your craziest networking story is!