Establishing a Web Presence
- Details
- Category: Career Resources
- Published on Monday, 04 July 2011 21:55
Some ways you can achieve this is by joining open source projects, or registering on and submitting your work to "Google code". You could run a technical blog on a technology or innovation that interests you and utilise social media such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to help get the word out. These are all ways that could attract prospective future employers to talk to you about possible employment possibilities.
If you choose to utilise the professional networking tools such as LinkedIn, you need to make sure your profile is attractive to your connections and their connections - any one of them may be a prospective new employer.
Spend some time to keep your profile up to date, include a recent and professional looking photograph. Ensure the language used is compelling and positive, concise and to the point, and that your cited work experience in achievement centric. The same rules that apply for writing a great resume apply for managing a great profile on LinkedIn.
Once your profile is looking good, you could be surprised by old colleagues and clients who may spot you even before you start looking for connections and send you an invitation to join their LinkedIn network! Search for names of individuals for whom you’ve worked or consulted, and any professional connections that you may have encountered in your professional life. Send them a quick invite to join your network.
As you build your network, you can ask individuals to recommend you. These are references and testimonials about your professionalism and can make your profile stronger and more attractive to prospective employers or recruiters.
LinkedIn enables you to carry out Jobs searches by keyword and location. It also has an Advanced Search feature to search by your required and specific criteria. LinkedIn also has an Answers section designed to increase your visibility online. It’s like a forum where you can respond to other members’ questions, and ask a question if you need information or assistance. This is another way of getting your expertise out there and attracting the interest of potential employers.
If you decide to utilise your Facebook account for professional networking, you need to be aware of the risks of exposing your professional network to some social aspects of your life that you don’t necessarily want them to see. It’s recommended to take a critical look at your Facebook Profile and decide what you want business contacts or prospective employers to see - and what you don't.
It would be wise to either clean up your existing account, or create a page for business purposes. Also, consider every word that you publish when you post content. Ensure that what you post is relevant to your job search or career. Ensure your comments are professional, inoffensive and socially responsible.
Another factor to keep in mind when using Facebook as a professional networking tool is the need to choose your Friends wisely - your Friends can see information about your other Friends in your Profile and that too could reflect poorly on you. Be aware of photographs and comments posted by your friends and make sure you censor your wall and profile so that your contacts see the side of you that you want them to see.
Most social networking applications like Facebook and LinkedIn have Mobile applets for use on smart phones and hand held devices ensuring you don’t miss any opportunities and you’re always connected. And in this day and age, it’s all about being connected.