I work in marketing and just realized there are at least 15 other Thomas Johnsons in my industry alone on LinkedIn. Three of them even work at competitor companies. When someone searches for me, they get a wall of Thomas Johnsons. How do you guys stand out professionally with such a common name? Do you use middle names, go by a nickname, or just accept the SEO nightmare?
6 Comments
I started going by my full name with middle initial on all professional platforms. Thomas R. Johnson at least narrows it down a bit. Also made sure my headline is super specific so people can tell its me.
thats a good idea. my middle name is Michael though which is almost as common as Thomas lol
Personal branding advice: consider whether you want to brand as Thomas, Tom, or Tommy professionally and stick with it everywhere. Consistency helps. Also think about owning a domain with your name plus something distinctive like your specialty. thomasjohnsonmarketing.com or similar.
I genuinely considered using my wifes last name professionally just to stand out. Didnt do it but the thought crossed my mind more than once.
i actually did this for my pen name. write under a completely different name. best decision i ever made for searchability
As someone who recruits for tech companies, I can tell you having a common name isnt as big a deal as you think. We use LinkedIn URLs and email addresses, not name searches. Just make sure your profile is complete and your custom URL is set. Nobody is searching 'Thomas Johnson' and hoping the right one pops up.