This Thanksgiving my family, as we always do, is heading to
New York but this year we are staying in a fabulous Tribeca penthouse apartment
found on Airbnb. (A significant savings from the four hotel rooms we need when
we’re all together.) I’ve used Airbnb in other U.S. cities and friends just
returned from France where they rented an apartment in Paris using Airbnb. We all had a great experience. It
got me thinking: Is the company’s
success because it developed a technology platform to connect people with space
to people who want space, or because it developed a platform by which
everyone is in control of their reputation and their reputation is visible to
everyone? The answer is probably
both. But, what does this have to do with your job search?
Like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media
networks, Airbnb is a place where connected people know each other and everyone
has an identity. Brian Chesky, one of the co-founders of Airbnb said in an interview, “You can’t rent a room from someone or to someone unless you create a
profile. The more information you put into your profile — license, passport,
Facebook page and reviews of people who have stayed with you — the more
customers are likely to come. And the better reputation you earn from reviews,
the more other people want to work with you. All the social friction because of
a lack of trust gets removed.” Got that right.
For soon-to-be grads and those recently graduated this means you need own your identity
and reputation.
Companies have identities. Puma vs. Adidas. Google vs. Bing.
You also have an identity. In your job search, you need to present your identity—the
practical/reason-based benefits (your skills obtained through your experience)
and emotional-based benefits (your qualities—what makes you you) to
prospective employers where you are a potential right fit.
Do the work
to know:
- Your value - what you are good at, what you love to do
- What makes you unique— the qualities you possess
- What makes the company right for you—how do you fit in to the work and culture
A company owns its reputation. It’s part of why you
recommend/buy Apple products vs.Samsung products (or vice versa) for example. You
also own your reputation. Just one of the many reasons why you need to clean up
all your social media accounts before you start looking for your first
professional job. It’s why getting and posting recommendations from former
supervisors/bosses, professors, peers (think 360°) on your LinkedIn profile
page is important. Your reputation is the key that opens doors.
Take
responsibility for your reputation and know:
- How you are perceived by others
- How do you want to be perceived by people
Even in this hyperconnected world we live in, technology does not
get you a job. Technology makes your identity and reputation known to people.
People who can talk about your identity and reputation. People who can connect
you with people because of your identity and reputation. People who are in a
position to hire you because your identity and reputation fits with the company's identity and reputation.
As Chesky says, “The 21st-century
economy will be powered by people.”
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