Topic 3: How To Create a Professional Online Presence
When it comes to one’s job search at the end of university, one of the first things we are urged to consider is our online presence. In our inevitable pursuit to impress and be noticed by future employers, it is critical to develop an online profile that reflects your professional side.
There are a selection of horror stories featuring real-life examples of when people fail to uphold their professional online identity. Whilst many demonstrate the most extreme cases, Bondarouk and Olivas-Lujan (2013) document the importance in managing a professional online identity. Many people enter the world of work without the knowledge of how to develop an online professional profile.
Here’s a quick piece of advice from Nancy Slomowitz:
With her infinite words of wisdom in mind, here are some of my top tips for creating an ideal, professional online profile:
- Google yourself – see what comes up, as this is exactly what employers do. If it isn’t looking professional (eg: drunken photos, awkward historic bebo pages) it is advisable to delete pages and posts, or simply privatise them.
- Make obscure identities for websites like YouTube or any forums you joined. If these sites aren’t relevant to your employers, they shouldn’t appear on Google earlier than your professional pages.
- Create a LinkedIn, AboutMe page and/or professional Twitter account, and privatise your personal Twitter account. Twitter is conventionally open and public, and can be helpful in learning and discussing topics related to your industry of interest. You can also follow employers/companies online, to learn more about their latest news and developments.
- Create a blog related to your line of work. Employers will enjoy reading your work, showing your commitment. Don’t forget to check your spelling and grammar!
Here is an excellent video by Distinctive Career Services, adding further detail:
According to Ollier-Malaterre et al. (2013), a study suggests that most young professionals have a private Facebook account, and a professional LinkedIn account to separate identities. This is obviously fine, however as young professionals mature and become more sensible, their private posts become more neutral. This is also due to the possible addition of some work colleagues to their Facebook friend list. Relating to this, as a final disclaimer, you may have spent time creating a perfect separation of work and play, however it is important to remember it may not be perfectly watertight. Post wisely!
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References:
Bondarouk, T., & Olivas-Lujan, M. R. (2013). Social media in human resources management (Vol. 12). St Gallen: Advanced Series in Management.
Ollier-Malaterre, A., Rothbard, N. P., & Berg, J. M. (2013). When Worlds Collide in Cyberspace: How Boundary Work in Online Social Networks Impacts Professional Relationships. Academy of Management Review, 38(4), 645-669.
