Book Review – Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success

It should be no surprise that the Internet has become the number one resource for job searching. It’s not just about applying to jobs and sending your resume via email to employers. The Internet is also how people network, how people get discovered, and how people effectively brand themselves to help improve both their professional and personal lives.

“Me 2.0” by Dan Schawbel seeks to offer job seekers an opportunity to learn how to promote themselves online and offline in order to improve the way employers view their candidacy.

Book Contents

• Understanding what branding means to your professional life.
• How to find your brand.
• How to build and maintain your brand.
• Job searching for generation Y.

Book Benefits

This is a book that is designed to appeal to college graduates. It’s all about generation Y and the need to create a personal brand online. Considering the dependency that Gen Y already has on the Internet, there is clearly a market for individuals to learn about how to create a professional brand for themselves. Schawbel’s strength is his advice for your online persona, and the book does a good job teaching you not only how to create a personal brand, but also why it is so important.

Book Weaknesses

As with any book written directly for college students, the rest of the population gets somewhat left out. It may still be useful, especially if you do not know much about branding yourself, but it is primarily an introduction to branding, so seasoned professionals are unlikely to receive any benefit. The book is also somewhat awkward and there is not a lot of additional job search information within the book.

Overall Thoughts

Obviously “Me 2.0” has its downsides, especially for long time workers. Even Generation X probably won’t get much benefit, and fringe generation Y that has been in the workforce for several years now may get much value either. Also, when most people seek out job search books, they are looking for one book that encompasses everything they need to know, and like most books, this isn’t it. What “Me 2.0” is, however, is a great introduction to branding, so while it shouldn’t be your primary job search book, it is a great supplement book.