Rightly or wrongly, potential employers are likely to be checking the web to see what they can find out about you. Your online presence is important to your career as it can support (or undermine) your desired image. This is particularly vital when you are looking for a job. What they want to see is information and a personal brand that aligns with what you have told them and how you have presented yourself. What they don’t want to see is anything that casts doubts about your abilities, your credibility or contradicts what you have told them. Your online presence needs to be consistent with offline you. Hiring managers want as much certainty as they can get that you can do the job. They are also looking to minimise any risks of employing you. A manager is only as good as the people they employ and your online profile can help provide the certainty they are looking for and make them comfortable that you are who you say you are. As a job seeker, managing your online presence is a priority. Ideally, you would start the process before you start looking for a job. However, if you haven’t started and you are looking for a job – don’t despair. The good thing about the web is you can make a big difference really quickly. Here are some ideas on how to do this:
1. Google yourself
It can seem a little conceited to type your own name into Google, but that’s what future employers may be doing – and you need to know what they will see. You might find anything from your Facebook and Twitter profiles, quotes you gave a supplier many years ago or even an application to a local council for a building approval (they’re some of the things I found the first time!). Once you know what is out there, you know whether there is anything you need to change or add new content if you need to push some unflattering or irrelevant entries off page 1.
2. Join (or update) LinkedIn
For many people, due to the trustworthiness and reach of the site, a LinkedIn profile will quickly work its way to the top of a search page. Even more importantly, it is a trusted professional site that will provide you with credibility when its content aligns with your CV. Not to mention that many recruiters are actively using LinkedIn to search for candidates. If you are already on LinkedIn, revisit your profile and make sure that it is up-to-date and uses the appropriate keywords that will help a recruiter find you. For instance, the industries you have worked in and the job titles you have held. LinkedIn has recently added an ‘Improve Your Profile’ button that will guide you through how to enhance your profile.
3. Align your social media profiles with your professional image
As hilarious as some of your comments and photos on social media sites like Facebook and Tumblr might be to you and your friends, they might not be so appealing to a potential boss. If there is anything on your profiles that doesn’t align with the professional you – remove it!
4. Think before you post
Managing your online presence doesn’t mean you can’t have a few laughs or that you have to lose your personality. Just stop and think before you send a tweet or make a post – “am I comfortable for a potential employer to see this?” or “does this align with how I want to present myself?
5. Start a Blog
If you are a leader in your field, have experience you want to share or just have something credible to say – consider starting a blog. This can be a great way of demonstrating your knowledge and skills and supporting your claims of subject matter expertise. There’s just a few ideas to get you started. If you want some more, you can always Google “Managing your Online Presence”! All the best with the job hunt.
