What does your online presence say about you?
Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram are all the rage nowadays and I am guessing that you use at least one if not numerous social platforms.
We love social media for keeping in touch with family and friends, sharing updates, organising events and even the occasional snooping. However, all of this online activity means that other people and, in particular, current and potential employers have a handy digital window through which to consider you and your lifestyle.
It is increasingly important to be aware of the impact that our thoughts, photos and activity on social media can have on our professional lives and image.
We all need to be managing our online presence to ensure that it helps rather than hinders our career success.
Here are a few online presence tips:
Check your privacy settings
All social networking sites have privacy settings that give you control over who can view your profiles and updates. It is advisable that you make your personal accounts private so that you only share your antics with friends and family.
Top Tip: Try logging out and then googling your name and the social platform to see how easy it is to find your profile and what a stranger could see once they find it.
Separate your personal and professional online presence
It is very hard to juggle the personal and the professional all in one social account. It is better to use different networks or even different accounts for different areas of your life. LinkedIn is an obvious choice for a professional platform, whereas you may prefer to keep Facebook and Twitter private and personal.
Watch what you write
Don’t forget that if you are writing a blog or leaving comments on YouTube videos or forum posts, these could come up in searches of your name.
Connect with your industry
Once you have a professional presence online, you can utilise social media to your advantage by connecting with and following influencers in your industry.
If you are on the lookout for a new role then social media is also a great place to check out and connect with potential employers. A lot of recruiters and employers are now using social media to reach out to candidates so in this instance you may want to be found!
Think about your contact information
When using social media in the professional arena, ensure that the contact details you have listed are suitable. It sounds obvious, but some people do list email addresses like ‘rudeboi88@gmail.com’.
If you have your contact number on display, also ensure that you have a professional sounding voicemail set up.
Sell yourself
You want to look great online! Whether you are selling yourself to recruiters and potential employers or to new clients and industry contacts put your social media to full use in making you look good. On your LinkedIn page, for example, ensure that you have a full profile that highlights your education, experience and skills in order to enhance your professional image.
Social media and the internet can undoubtedly be extremely valuable for our careers. Always try to remember that it is a public domain and you don’t want anything out there that can come back to bite you. Make it work for you and it can do wonders for your career.
