{"id":46331,"date":"2014-03-09T17:25:30","date_gmt":"2014-03-09T17:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jazzcurzon.com\/?p=658"},"modified":"2014-03-09T17:25:30","modified_gmt":"2014-03-09T17:25:30","slug":"topic-3-developing-an-authentic-professional-online-profile-32","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2008\/2014\/topic-3-2014\/2014\/03\/topic-3-developing-an-authentic-professional-online-profile-32\/","title":{"rendered":"Topic 3: Developing An Authentic Professional Online Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discuss the ways in which an\u00a0authentic\u00a0online professional profile can be developed.<\/del><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"hireme\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Job hunting and recruitment have changed dramatically with the advent of the Internet and social media. Add to this the recent global economic crisis, and the hyper-competitive job market it has created, and you\u2019ve got one tough crowd to compete with. That said, we all have access to the same tools and thus we have a level playing field.<\/p>\n

Online professional profiles are all about self-branding, the aim being to present yourself in a favourable light so as to gain credibility and appeal to potential employers. Unlike in the days when employers’ only research came from calling the two references provided, they now have a host of Internet documentation to check your details against. Thus, when creating your professional brand, you must make sure you portray a consistent image of yourself. In his book “Linchpin”, Seth Godin (2010)<\/a> sates\u00a0 \u201cIf you need to conceal your true nature to get in the door, understand that you’ll probably have to conceal your true nature to keep that job.\u201d\u00a0 I think it is worth noting that, in doing this, your true nature needs to be concealed across a number of mediums, so unless you’re in line for an Oscar, it’s advisable to be authentic.<\/p>\n

Weiler (2012)<\/a> states \u201cIt used to be that your resume was the determining factor in landing a job, but now social platforms are becoming the norm for both networking and finding work.\u201d This is exactly right and in modern times the professional is expected to have a number of online profiles: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and often a blog. \u00a0This is supported by Bonzionelos (2003)<\/a>, relationships in social networks, including professional ties, constitute an important facet of social capital. Through Twitter and other platforms job seekers can now create ties with thousands of people with a single tweet. Be active on Twitter and LinkedIn and initiate the first contact with employers. Companies do not mind being contacted for job opportunities on Twitter, so reach out. In fact, firms are often able to provide valuable advice on the things that you should be doing to find a job. If you’re lucky, recruitment may check you out and give you a job offer.<\/p>\n

So we\u2019ve established the importance of a professional online profile, now here are some tips to doing it well:<\/p>\n