It is hard to imagine life before the internet came along. To the current generation that has recently entered – or is planning to enter – the work world, they have never known a world without it. They have seen it evolve to some degree, but it has always been there. To them, Myspace is ancient history.

When I graduated from college and was looking for my first career job, it was an internet-free zone. I used newspaper ads and recruiters with whom I communicated solely through phone calls and face-to-face meetings. Email wasn’t even common enough to use.

Contrasting that with the job search today makes it seem like a hundred years ago instead of twenty-five. Today, there are online job postings and the ability to submit a resume online for thousands of recruiters to find.

When I did my initial job search, it was difficult to brand myself. It was done one resume and cover letter at a time. If the resume caught the employer’s attention, I was called in for an interview or two. If they were still interested, they would check my references.

While all three of those items still exist in the hiring process of most organizations, there a many more ways that an individual can brand himself and many more ways that the organization can check out the candidate’s brand.