Schawbel’s opening salvo:

Today, Twitter has roughly 6 million users and is projected to grow to 18.1 million users by 2010. With all those people, the chances for networking are endless and connecting with new people can lead to career opportunities, so it is essential that your personal brand exists on the service. Last month we showed you a step-by-step process for building your personal brand on Facebook, and today we’re going to show you how to do the same thing on Twitter. By leveraging the Twitter platform to build your brand you can showcase yourself to a huge and growing audience.

Read the rest here.

1. Polish your Google profile. Use the new features on your profile page so that you come out on top in search results.
2. Get your name reserved on a variety of social networks. You should especially focus on the biggies such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, etc.
3. Establish a personal online hub for your activities. 
4. Have a plan in place for managing your online reputation.
5. Promote your expertise with a “social media resume.”

I really love Schawbel’s articles; they’re always very timely and informative. You can check out the details here. 

Image by Matt Hamm