Being in a digital era more often than not potential employers will browse your online footprint before they lock you in for the first interview. Information is easily and instantly accessible, and the more information you update about yourself, the more easily it can be discovered.
So what does your online profile currently say about you?
• Have you looked up your name on Google lately?
• Is your LinkedIn profile updated?
• Are your online images showing you to be someone who is suited to the job and reliable?
• Are your Facebook posts and Tweets going to haunt you at a later stage?
I can honestly say at this point in my life I am happy with the way that I am presented through Social Media. For example:
LinkedIn – I have a professional photograph, a corporate summary and up-to date information on my past to current experience. I also have updated skills and recommendations, links and relevant information pertaining to what I do.
Facebook – On both a personal and professional basis I like to share articles, videos, images and inspirational quotes to both friends and clients/candidates that I feel are valuable.
Blogs – Challenge Consulting has also allowed me to provide topics on their company blog page where I feel like I can reach out and connect with individuals that may have experienced similar situations and learning curves. I get to represent a business brand that I know and trust so when I am updating news articles and sending out the company ENews I am happy to link my personal brand to my organisation and their values/structure.
Online Networking – By joining other corporate networking groups I have also expanded my online presence and this has also connected me to other like-minded individuals in my industry and the corporate industry. Depending on field you are in, you can do a Google Search for similar industry networking groups, follow influencing individuals that write articles and share blogs or interest groups in LinkedIn. And don’t be afraid to ask questions or start conversations once you have joined these networks as it is the whole reason behind networking groups, to engage.
Hobbies/Personal Interests – I also enjoy sporting and charity events in my personal time which can often include an online profile or blog site. This shows others what I am passionate about and what I enjoy doing in my spare time.
While there are many things you can do to boost your profile, I also want to make sure that you are aware of certain social media mistakes that could be doing more harm than good when it comes to your job search success. Careerealism.com has provided the following examples:
• Appearing Desperate – when making connections on LinkedIn when you are a job seeker, try to avoid group emails and spamming other contacts when it comes to looking for work. It is important to work on building those relationships first before asking them for something.
• Having an incomplete profile – incomplete information will just make your profile difficult to understand and even worse, the employer or individual viewing your profile may think that you are disorganised or lazy when it comes to keeping your information up to date and well-presented.
• Having a split focus – When it comes to applying for roles, make sure your profile and summary are targeting the right areas of employment that you are wishing to seek otherwise the employer may question your interest or longevity in applying for a particular role.
• Not contributing meaningful tweets – You can have many individuals that you follow but you will not engage responses if you are not sharing information of interest. Find articles to share or open up questions to engage responses.
• Not Retweeting – Job hunters should not merely tweet about what is of interest to them, but they should also help other Twitter users by retweeting information that would be useful to the rest of the Twitter community.
• Posting Inappropriate Information – This tends to be the number one problem that people have when using this site. This could include photos, negative comments about people and/or companies, and inappropriate jokes. Many people still do not realise that the information that they post can be seen by potential employers. You should use the appropriate settings to ensure that employers can only view information about you that is appropriate for a professional setting.
What have you used that has boosted your online presence? Did you find it was effective? What have you learned through this experience?
