Post written by Marlon Ribunal.
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If you are on the mid-level of your career, it is most likely that your  job now is not going to be the same job that you will have until retirement.  It is usually natural for any employee to seek the greener pasture. How you position yourself to be at “the right place at the right time” determines the quality of opportunities that you will get when they finally come. Constant improvement of skills and knowledge is probably the single most important aspect that any employee must focus on.

Remember, how you position yourself to be at “the right place at the right time” determines the quality of opportunities that you will get when they finally come.

While others may have better opportunities and better options because of their credentials, some may not be as fortunate for many reasons. We can think of many reasons why an employee can hardly find himself in a better position but let us reserve that for another post in this blog. There is one venue, though, that an employee can, and must, take advantage of to get himself a fair shake: online identity. These are the 10 reasons why you need to establish your online identity:

1. It Widens Your Horizons

Although the initial benefits of establishing an online identity is only virtual, it extends your reach beyond your company’s walls. The virtual mileage will lead you to many possibilities.

2. It Attracts Prospective Employees

If you do it right, your online identity extends yourself and put you in front of prospective employees. Put your best foot forward and make the most out of it. You’ll never know when a hiring manager might get interested in you and contact you for a position.

3. It Creates Your Personal Brand

Probably the most important reason why you must establish your online identity, your personal brand is an asset that you need to grow. You must wrap your brand in an attractive package to appeal to any company that might just happen to stumble upon your profile.

4. It Gives You Directions

In your quest to make your brand better and better each time, establishing your online identity requires constant polishing. The process itself entails a lot of effort specially in finding ways to improve your brand.

5. It Leads You To Realization

Establishing your brand is a sojourn by itself. Your goals must be clearly defined and your path must be precisely determined. Once your goals are set, it is only then that you can know the destination. Establishing your online identity can even be a philosophical at times.

6. It Teaches You Lessons

As you go about establishing your online identity, you may need to go through trial and error as you perfect your strategies. Obviously, the process is not easy. Along the way you may encounter failure or challenges but the most important things is you don’t give up and you don’t forget the lessons that your adversities teach you.

7. It Reveals  Your Character

Do you succumb to failure or you stand up and take the challenges? As you start to make connections and grab attention online, chances are some of those encounters may be adversarial. Be prepared to head on with antagonistic forces out there. The road to online success is not easy.

8. It Shows Your Other Potentials

There may be moments in your journey that you will discover another potentials or interests that you won’t realize otherwise. As the the process of establishing your online identity is a journey, it is also an opportunity for self-discovery. Just keep an open-eye.

9. It Connects You To Other People

Your online identity is meaningless if you are not able to build connections. Establishing online identity requires the ability to build relationships. You’ll want to shoot for the critical mass but you must remember that the quality of the connectedness is all that matters.

10. It May  Augment Your Income

Gary Vaynerchuck has proven that you can make money out of your personal brand. If you choose to follow his path and listen to his advise, you can just be one of those who have successfully built their empire upon their online identity. Some people have found ways to make money online with affiliate marketing.

The details I have given above may only be the tip of the iceberg. As technology evolves, we continue to discover many other benefits from a solid online identity. One of the most effective ways of actually building your online identity is through a personal blog. When I say personal, I don’t mean an online journal or diary. You can start writing about a niche that does not only interest you but also benefit your potential readers like the blog you are currently reading. Do you have more ideas on how to better position yourself online?

In the next post, I’ll show you how to get started with blogging by giving you the basics of building a blog.

Need More Reasons? Just Watch