Topic 3: Authentic Online Professional Profile

In regards to employability, meaningful change is about to happen. As technological determinism prevails, we live in an era characterised by media activity, accessibility and diversity with new freedoms for the audience. Don Tapscott (2014) states, “A new generation of young workers is entering the workforce and bringing a new culture”.

Networking, social capital and reputation building are important stages to constructing an online professional profile. An important element of this is through humanising your ‘brand’ online to attract new audiences. When you hear ‘authentic online professional profile’, you automatically think of LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network. However, today, there are a variety of ways in which you can translate your skills and professionalism, more creatively than an online CV.

As Jetsetshow (2010) suggest, there are seven ways to build an authentic online profile:

1. Have a plan, personal or professional?
2. Craft your identity
3. Think Long-term
4. Site basics
5. Use the same photo on all social networks for easy identification
6. Be consistent
7. Engage with others.   

In particular, blogging has become a social phenomenon and is a perfect platform to develop an online professional profile. Through consistency, uniqueness and engagement, a number of bloggers have been able to develop online professional profiles. For example, blogger and YouTuber Sammi ‘BeautyCrush’ has gone from creating a blog/YouTube channel, to over 1 million subscribers and collaborations with companies such as Mulberry and Braun. Companies now invest in bloggers and see bloggers as an asset to their company to target new audiences and relate to them.

Take this module for example, the university have acknowledged the importance of living and working on the web, it’s impact on employability and how to develop an online profile. This module will provide me with knowledge that will make me stand out amongst a bunch of candidates all with the same degree. Additionally, blogging allows for many work-related skills to be developed such as determination, creativity and motivation.

Through YouTube, blogs and personal websites, we discover the influence that each of us has. We recommend things to each other, express our opinions and this demonstrates influence.

Through authenticity, online professional profiles can lead to exposure to many prospective companies and audiences. The Internet allows us to push boundaries and overcome the hindrance of time and space that we experience in the real world. By following the steps mentioned above, an authentic online professional profile can easily be developed.

References:

Tapscott, D. 2014,’Five Ways Talent Management Must Change’ Available: https://agenda.weforum.org/2014/10/don-tapscott-talent-management-millennials/ %5BAccessed 7 March 2015]

Jetsetshow, 2010, ‘7 steps to Building your online identity’ Available:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UlcOX1fZW4&spfreload=10

[Accessed 7 March 2015]

https://instagram.com/thebeautycrush/