The Job Search Classroom |
** Make Personal Profile More Visible **
The internet has created a whole new and powerful way of "being seen" that is beneficial to job searchers.
As such, care and strategy must be applied when trying to make your professional profile and professional brand
not only visible, but importantly, favorably visible. Potential employers and recruiters use the internet
extensively to identify, screen and vet possible candidates. Potential candidates can get easily 'crossed off'
the list if there is unflattering material online associated with the candidate.
So in general, two efforts are recommended: put favorable and appropriately informative information out on
the internet, while at the same time eradicating anything that is not flattering or you would be embarrassed for
a potential hiring manager to see.
Creating favorable and appropriately informative information can be in the form of formal, structured sites such
as social networking sites where profiles are created or posting one's resume on job boards or with recruiters.
It can also be in informal ways where you offer opinions and commentary in blogs or chat rooms. While a
recruiter or hiring manager may not scan blogs you participate in per se, they may be casually reading a blog
and be favorably impressed with either your knowledge or apparent expertise enough to reach out to you as a
potential candidate.
Eradicating unfavorable or unflattering material is possibly more important than getting favorable material out.
You don't want to give any hiring manager or recruiter any reason, right or wrong, to eliminate you from
any favorable consideration. It's that simple.
-- Get on Linkedin, by far the largest professional networking site with at more than 35 million users.
-- Consider getting on other social websites
>> For a list of other networking sites click
here.
Recommend, however, focusing on Linkedin first,
the one intended as a business network.
-- A related article:
How to Ensure Employers Can Find You.
> In general, refrain from inflammatory language and tone in any blogs-- it'll just make you look bad.