Over the past few months I’ve mentioned in several of my columns the importance of branding and selling yourself, whether through your resume, by using superior networking and interviewing skills, or with tactics that go above and beyond. As the job market continues to be a daunting battleground for the unemployed it has never been more important or more challenging to stand out in the crowd, a crowd whose numbers continue to grow. Losing hope can lead to losing sight of the potential you have and the many ways in which you would be an asset to the company you’re applying to.

Yesterday, in the WSJ Online’s Reinvent section, an interesting section I’ve mentioned before with tips and stories of career men and women who are looking to turn over a new leaf, a piece on Building Your Brand offered some wisdom on the topic. Here is a quick excerpt from the piece:

“Personal branding serves as career protection in uncertain times. It’s also a critical tool for reinventing yourself because you can leverage the reputation and skill set you already have to prove you have the ability to do the job you want.”

Some suggested methods for creating a memorable brand for yourself were through utilizing social media and the internet. Creating a presence for yourself using online social tools, blogs, and podcasts helps the message you’re hoping to send to reach a broader spectrum of people. Using the web also allows you to have a visually cohesive and memorable theme.

More on using social networking for branding yourself and/or your business will be coming soon on DearBev, including start-up services for the less tech-savvy crowd.