Me 2.0, Revised and Updated Edition: 4 Steps to Building Your Future [Paperback]

Dan Schawbel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 5, 2010

Me 2.0 shows job seekers and established professionals alike how to leverage the power of online media for personal empowerment and career success.

“The business world is changing and what Dan Schawbel has captured in this book is the pulse of the changing branding market.”

- Gary Vaynerchuk, best-selling author of Crush It

There is no job security anymore, which means that the way we manage our careers has forever changed. Now, everyone in the world is your competition and the single greatest differentiator you have is your personal brand. With social media tools, blogs, and mobile applications, there are endless opportunities to become known and connect with other people.

In Me 2.0, personal branding expert Dan Schawbel gives you all the tools you need for building a powerful personal brand that WILL give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace, including:

· A 4-step process for discovering, creating, communicating and maintaining your personal brand.

· How to use all the latest social media tools, including video, blogs, and social networks for job search and career development.

· The secrets to networking effectively – both online and offline.

· Proven branding advice from industry experts and insiders.

Whether you’re looking for your first big job, want to climb the corporate ladder, or are eager to jumpstart your own business venture, Me 2.0 will help you achieve lasting success!

What’s new in the revised edition of Me 2.0 

• NEW case studies, from people of all generations, on how they’ve used social media to become well-known brands.
• NEW chapter on how to use the top social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, for job searching, with real success stories.
• NEW insight on how to turn your passion into a business through the personal branding process.
• NEW tools you can use to network professionally and grow your presence, including Google Buzz, mobile branding, and location-based social networking.
• NEW research, examples, and more resources that will support your online brand campaign.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book offers a comprehensive guide for leveraging the big three social media features: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. In this easy-to-read book, Schawbel offers a variety of branding techniques and tools to maximize job search success. This is a must-read for those who want to create a powerful persona that truly separates them from the competition amidst the war for talent.” - The Washington Post (2011 Summer Reading List For Business Leaders)

“It contains practical ways of harnessing online tools to professional advantage.” - The Financial Times

“You can read it cover to cover for a comprehensive guide to branding in this social media age or you can simply access the section you need in the moment.”   - FoxBusiness.com

“Me 2.0 is an easy, thought-provoking read and recommended for anyone who may find themselves back on the job market with only a paper resume as a calling card.” - Entrepreneur

“Me 2.0 is an instruction manual for developing your personal brand and then leveraging that brand to command your career.” - The New York Post

“Me 2.0 provides a comprehensive crash course on personal branding that includes easy to understand tips and strategies, expert quotes, and even a personal branding toolkit.” - Fast Company

“A very detailed and comprehensive guide to employing a full arsenal of mostly online tools - including social networking - to develop a public persona that will enable you to be the go-to person for your area of expertise.” - Miami Herald

“This outstanding, easy-to-read guide shows millennial job seekers how to promote themselves both online and offline via Schawbel’s concept of personal branding, or ‘how we market ourselves to others.” - Library Journal

“Packed with useful tips, Me 2.0 can help anyone sharpen his or her personal brand.” - Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of A Whole New Mind 

“The Business world is changing and what Dan Schawbel has captured in this book is the pulse of the changing branding market.” - Gary Vaynerchuk, host and founder of Wine Library TV  

“[Me 2.0]  is well written and logically organized. The book also includes a glossary that is accurate and concise. This was an added feature that added value to the book as a whole.” - ZDNet

 

About the Author

Dan Schawbel is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, LLC, and the leading authority on personal branding. His award winning blog, PersonalBrandingBlog.com, is syndicated by major networks such as Reuters and Fox Business, was named the #1 job blog by Careerbuilder, and is a top 30 AdAge marketing blog. Dan is also the publisher of Personal Branding Magazine, a syndicated columnist for Metro US, and the youngest columnist at BusinessWeek. He’s been featured in more than 150 media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS, Fox, ABC News, NPR, USA Today and Details Magazine. Dan is a keynote speaker at colleges and universities, such as Harvard and MIT, and at major companies, such as Time Warner and CitiGroup. He helps both individuals and companies with creative branding solutions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing; Rev Upd edition (October 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1607147122
• ISBN-13: 978-1607147121
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dan Schawbel is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm. He is the author of the #1 international bestselling book, Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future, now in 13 languages. His second book, Promote Yourself: The New Rules For Career Success, will be released in 2013 by St. Martin's Press. Dan is the founder of the Personal Branding Blog, a Forbes "Top Website for Your Career" and ranked as the #1 Job Blog by Careerbuilder. He is a columnist at both TIME and FORBES, a syndicated columnist at Metro US, a former BusinessWeek columnist, and has contributed to Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, The Guardian, The Globe And Mail, and numerous others.

Dan has helped companies like American Express, NBC Universal, Fidelity and Monster better understand his generation. His company's research has been covered in over 100 media outlets including CNN, USA Today and Men's Health. He's spoken at Google, NBC Universal, McGraw-Hill, Harvard Business School, MIT, Time Warner, IBM, and CitiGroup. Dan was named to the Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 List in 2010, the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 List in 2012, and BusinessWeek cites him as someone entrepreneurs should follow on Twitter.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Skeptic October 1, 2010

By SmileYourOnTV

Format:Paperback

I was fairly skeptical about this book, since I had purchased the original, how much would really be updated? However, I was pleasantly surprised, as the update version provided great new advice around utilizing social networks to find employment. Many of these strategies not only had great impact in their results, but also were fairly easy to implement. Also new case studies and research really helped drive home the value proposition of this book. Definitely a good read for anyone looking to help better position themselves for future employment.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant, Relatable, and Actionable September 30, 2010

By kjp1128

Format:Paperback

Reading this book inspired me to take control of my career, and more importantly my personal Brand. Mr. Schawbel's steps to building your future are actionable, relatable and relevant in today's business environment. As a young professional I've been able to implement Dan's advice and establish my personal brand in the global marketplace. It's a great, quick read that can benefit anyone at any level. We all have a brand, why not improve it?

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Modern CV. Here's the playbook. November 10, 2010

By Michael A. Robson

Format:Paperback

The CV(also known as the résumé) was the big deal for years, as people needed some kind of document to promote themselves in search of a job. It was the most rudimentary branding tool. Now millions of jobseekers look to the internet (as do millions of companies, looking for talent). So don't you think you should update your branding tools? And what do you think Employers do when they get your application? They Google you.

Personal Branding is an idea that started with Tom Peters about 15 years ago, and is now hugely impacted by our powerful ability to search anything about anyone. You see, years ago, you met someone, you knew a little about them because you knew what school they went to, who they were dating, what kind of car they drove, what company they worked for. There are bits and pieces of information that you can use to really paint a picture of someone. But you're guessing there. There's a lot of assumptions you're making when you say Jane is hip and trendy because she drives a Hyundai Sonata.

Basically, companies that got your resume would make assumptions about you based on your school, your accomplishments, and weed you out and eventually interview the top five candidates. Now they can do all of that, and more, before they get to the interview stage. Which is great, because about 100X more people are applying!

Click. Click. You're hired.

The level of detail that your 'Google Search' reveals about you is so rich that we can actually start talking about Personal Branding online. What are you saying online? What are you saying in real life? Do they match? Are you saying something that everyone else is saying? Or do you have your own personal twist? Because if you don't, you don't really have a strong brand.... Which means companies, contacts, and people, might not remember you. Not cool.

When I was finishing high school I wanted to do something creative. I wanted to try design. For that I had to put together a portfolio of my work, my best drawings, paintings, sketches, compiled in a tight package with a theme. It had to look professional and had to express my personality. I liked drawing steely cityscapes, and natural scenes, in bizarre, disorienting perspectives. They could see right away. They loved my portfolio. But as a service provider (eg. a manager, talent hunter, PR expert, Accountant, etc) you don't really want to show off your ledgers. No one's asking for some of your best Excel spreadsheets (or maybe there are !), but you can reveal a ton by crafting your online brand. That's what they're getting when they hire you: your brains and your great personality.

Besides your general Google search feedback, you have to get a LinkedIn account. The professional network is used by one and all to keep in touch with colleagues, classmates and prospects to help share job tips, and put teams of talented people together. You want to be in there, you want all your best colleagues and classmates talking to you, and you want to make sure your profile is professional. After reading this book, I went back and checked out my profile: It looked OK, but I was getting lazy, because I'd stopped giving out my business cards everywhere and putting those cards that I did receive into LinkedIn. My network was less than 100 people. How embarrassing. Because of this book, I'll be going to a networking even tonight, to get my business card out there. The point of getting more and more connections is you get more tips for job opportunities right in LinkedIn. And of course, more connections to you will benefit you in your Google Ranking as well. Going to networking events means hopefully meeting a handful of smart interesting people overtime you go, and if even a couple of those turn out to be friendly, your network of smart cool ambitious friends keeps growing. I like that.

A riff on an old saying goes, "It's not who you know, it's who knows you." I saw that on a T-shirt years ago, and it's so true. And that's what Me 2.0 is about. If you have a weak personal brand, people don't know you and they don't know why you're so interesting and unique. Because so much of our lives take place online nowadays, cultivating an online brand is a great place to start.

Yes this involves a great deal of self-reflection, but it should be an enjoyable process. What do you want people to think when they meet you the first time. Do your clothes reflect that? Do your topics of conversation reflect that? Branding is focusing on the few things you really love, the few projects you love, the few hobbies you love. If you focus your time on that, you'll be distinct and sharp. Your self knowledge is empowering and makes you more confident. If you 'sorta' like everything, you come off as wishy-washy, and kind of a wimp. Nice person, weak brand.

Dan goes into great detail in online branding and blogging. Blogging started a few years ago with people wanting to write about their own personal lives, but it didn't stay like that for long. It turns out, the late-night talk show hosts were right! No one wants to read about your cats! What people really want to do is meet other people who do cool interesting things. Social (online) Networking. That means if you're going to get your own website (blogging is a great place to do that, because it's incredibly easy, and almost always free) you can use it to build your personal brand. Dan runs down the game plan for getting your name out there, getting noticed, and building a following. This is huge. The more popular your blog/website/online portfolio/online CV gets, the higher your Google Ranking. And suddenly, you are 'somebody' when the recruiters do a search on your name. You might even be an expert. In Dan Schawbel's case, it led to numerous interviews with Fast Company and Fortune magazine, and speaking engagements (cha-ching!), and amazing job opportunities.

This book is the playbook, not for the optional attempt to get a high score on the interwebs, but for the totally necessary on and offline branding that is going to get you noticed, get you paid and get you into the big leagues, In whatever field you're in, doing whatever cool projects you want to be doing. Bottom line, you already have a brand, the question is: how compelling is it?

More great reviews like this one on 21tiger Read more ›

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars silly January 2, 2013

By yep-ok

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want substance, look elsewhere. This book is more about history and vague examples. The basic steps were essentially all in one chapter, and they are so common sensical, that the tips were almost hilarious. Basics: learn how to use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and a few other online tools. Groom yourself. Do your research. There is no personalization, and no real guidance on how to take the next steps. It basically says: have common sense, and learn some online fluff.

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST-read for Entrepreneurs May 11, 2013

By C. Roberts

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was enlightening. The author is very straight and too the point on what you need to do in order to build and maintain your personal brand. I would recommend this book as a must-ready for anyone starting a new blog, opening a new store, or creating an online portfolio. This is really the best advice out there on how to promote yourself, business, product, or service. He does not sugar-coats the facts. Hard work is required to launch and maintain your personal bran, but anything that pays off requires that. What I liked most about this book was that it did not just say 'Work hard and stick with it', like so many others of the same genre, but it tells you concrete ways of going about those lofty ideas. This book is really about changing your mindset to make your brand work in the digital space. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are operating under the wrong paradigm, then it's all for not.

P.S. - Thank you Nico Smith at UTD...best instructor ever)

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money December 7, 2012

By B. Smith

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I agree with other commenters - this is not worth the money. It's very basic info that anyone who is a smart professional already knows.

26 of 42 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars And... ???? February 23, 2011

By Maria Petrova

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm sorry, but I got zero out of this book. If you are just finding out how to make a Twitter page ("personalize the background!" "Fill out your complete profile!") or if you are very new to blogs ("RSS feeds!") -- this book will be helpful. But if you're like me -- gen X, have a FB page, have a Twitter account and use them moderately well -- this book is not worth your time. I skimmed through it and it's all snippets of things. How to make a good cover letter! Wow! The art of the interview! Wow! Nothing at all new or revolutionary or important. Get your hands on Seth Godin's books. Skip this. With due respect to the author... Thank you for your hard work, but the audience, imo, is 45+ years old. Everyone younger already knows everything in the book. I'm sorry.