Let’s use a weblog to build a brand….
A few people — like Joshua over at the Boston Globe — keyed into the fact that I got my job partly because of my weblog.
My number one advice to everyone around me who is laid off is “teach us something.”
Why is this so important? Well, you are a brand. That’s a Tom Peterism to be sure, but it’s true.
How do you get to be better known in the industry? Teach!
Why do I think Don Box is the geek god of all gods? Because he got up on stage, time after time after time (sometimes naked even!) and taught thousands of people all sorts of things.
Listen, if you’re laid off, you have a choice. Do I just sit on the couch and watch Oprah, or do I do something with my life?
Why not write a tip a day until you get a new job? Teach us something useful. Maybe nobody will point to it. Maybe no one will care. But, let’s say you’re laid off for three months, you’ll have published about 90 tips.
At least you’ll have something to look back on and feel proud about after you get your job. Now, compare that to watching Oprah. You haven’t left any of your knowledge here. You haven’t helped your “brand.”