'Me 2.0' shares personal branding tips for millennials, baby boomers alike

The new book Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel serves a real need for two sets of audiences. This book explicitly targets the generation called the "millennials." These are people just entering the workforce and Schawbel's book is a practical guide to branding for written for them. It will help readers transform their use of social media from purely personal purposes into career building tools.

The other set of audiences that will benefit from this book are the generations called "baby boomers" and the one generation younger "baby busters." In the late 90s, boomers and busters who couldn't (or wouldn't) step up their Internet and software skills not only created a generational riff in the workplace, but they were also at risk of being side-streamed in their organizations or worse. It seems to me that the current wave of social media has many similarities. The 40- and 50-somethings again need to step up their skills, but this time for podcasting, social utilities, and blogging. Dan Schawbel's book will prove a trusted guide. Within its pages are many practical "how to" tips for anyone who hasn't grown up with these new media.

For example, the checklist for setting options on Facebook is both practical and compelling. Based on Schawbel's advice, I immediately changed the option regarding who may tag me in photos. It's easy to imagine why this is a good idea, but it may not occur to new users of Facebook that there are optional settings. Schawbel's advice is not impacted by the recent changes to the layout of Facebook.

I was tempted to criticize the book for it's silence about diversity issues, but changed my mind. I sometimes ask myself how much of my minority culture I will celebrate/reveal in my online persona. It's not a lack of attention on the part of Schawbel that accounts for the silence; it is the lack of need. Never before have we had so much control over how individuals are perceived.

As someone who has taught at the college level, I'd like to mention that the book is well written and logically organized. The book also includes a glossary that is accurate and concise. This was an added feature that added value to the book as a whole.

Andrew Minko holds an M.S. in System Management, works with the FortiGuard team of Fortinet, and has taught at the college level with the University of California. He previously held IT management positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Visa International.