HOW TO DEVELOP AN AUTHENTIC ONLINE PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
As you may know, landing your dream job in this saturated job market, whilst negotiating frantic online traffic, can be difficult. The āFourth Economyā, which allows us to exploit the internet to attract attention, means authentic online professional profiles can be a lucrative way to gain a necessary edge over countless competitors. Social networking proļ¬les offer an opportunity to market your personal brand, Ā with managers claiming that āshowing a professional image and solid references can boost a candidateās chances for a job, because it gives a more rounded view of the individual and hence a better assessment.ā (Harris & Rae 2012).
Having a suitable and active online profile has never been more important to job seekers and recruiters alike. Ā A study conducted by The CareerBuilder revealed that 22% of recruiters screen candidatesā online behaviour on social networks, an 11% increase since 2006. Of these recruiters, 33% claimed they found information on these sites that terminates a candidateās application, whilst 24% said an online profile has convinced them to hire.
When creating an authentic online professional profile itās imperative to guarantee itās just that ā authentic. Employers will quickly discover if you donāt live up to your hype. McNamara (2012) tells the story of the now former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson, who was caught wrongfully embellishing his CV with a computer science degree. Thompsonās case is obviously a high profile one, but it should resonate. Thereās a fine line between maximising your impact and misrepresenting yourself. Tow the line!
Harris & Rae (2012) believe that personal branding through social networks is increasingly involved in new job searches. Ā The image below from their paper shows the tools available to enhance your online professional profile:
Digital CVs such as these are fantastic to develop authentic online professional profiles and make yourself more āgoogleableā:
ā A LinkedIn profile offers a dynamic alternative to the traditional CV and the opportunity to expand on your strengths, interests and professional activity whilst establishing real-life connections.
ā Google accounts can be renovated into online profiles by including a page summarising your CV and showcasing links to your other profiles.
ā The new Facebook home page layout includes a cover photo. Why not use this banner as a CV and an opportunity to market yourself?
ā Video CVs can be sent out and seen by managers who you wouldnāt usually have the opportunity of interacting with. But approach these with caution; they could have the opposite effect if not presented appropriately.
Iām going to leave you with Adam Pacittiās video CV, who turned to his online profile and created the buzz phrase āEmploy Adamā when he struggled to get a job. I think itās a great example of the professional power of the internet.
Harris, L. and Rae, A. 2012. Building a Personal Brand through Networking. Journal of Business Strategy, 32(5), p.14.
McNamara, T., 2012. Does your resume match up?Ā Firebrandtalent.com,Ā [blog] Available at: <http://blog.firebrandtalent.com/2012/05/does-your-resume-match-up/> [Accessed 8 March 2014].
