{"id":181,"date":"2014-11-09T14:06:29","date_gmt":"2014-11-09T14:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lucyhewsy.wordpress.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2014-11-09T14:06:29","modified_gmt":"2014-11-09T14:06:29","slug":"developing-a-professional-online-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/2014\/topic-3-2014\/2014\/11\/developing-a-professional-online-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing a professional online profile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today more than ever, it is vital that we have a professional online presence given that<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;80% of employers Google job seekers before inviting them into an interview!&#8221; (Joyce, 2014)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This percentage certainly shocked me and got me thinking, what is the best way to create an authentic professional online presence and <em>self-brand<\/em> ourselves to attract potential employers&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>So let&#8217;s start with the most obvious platform to attract, interact and <em>connect <\/em> with millions of professionals\u00a0\u00a0: LinkedIn.\u00a0An article on the Guardian aimed at students explains that &#8216;a LinkedIn profile is your chance to build a positive online presence for yourself,&#8217; (Burch, 2013)\u00a0and this is where I personally started when creating my own professional identity.<\/p>\n<p>The video below produced by LinkedIn succinctly summarises how to use the platform to successfully network with professionals in your desired field of work&#8230; and humorously reminds us that LinkedIn is <em>not just for old people with heavy briefcases<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text\/html' width='646' height='394' src='http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YWp6AN00D_c?version=3&#038;rel=1&%23038;fs=1&%23038;showsearch=0&%23038;showinfo=1&%23038;iv_load_policy=1&%23038;wmode=transparent' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen='true'><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>But is LinkedIn the <em>Best<\/em> and <em>Only<\/em> option for creating a professional presence?<\/p>\n<p>Twitter also acts as the perfect platform to connect and engage with companies and industry figures. Twitter is ideal for interacting with companies you are interested in, as its &#8216;openness&#8230;shocases your talents, personality, style and interests'(Hartwig,2013). I personally use Twitter to follow PR and Marketing companies as I am interested in these industries and really appreciate the fact that you can engage with anyone on any level (from intern to CEO) at the company &#8211; it&#8217;s so vital to build up a rapport!<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Twitters&#8217; new format and extra features such as pinned Tweets and Best Tweets allow job seekers to paint a more accurate picture of their &#8216;professionalism, skills sets and interests&#8217; (Le\u00a0Viet, 2014)\u00a0and it is understandably emerging as one of the best social networks for both the creation of a professional online profile and for job searching.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mashable.com\/2014\/04\/21\/twitter-redesign-recruitment\/\" rel=\"http:\/\/mashable.com\/2014\/04\/21\/twitter-redesign-recruitment\/\"><img class=\"microcontent\" src=\"http:\/\/rack.3.mshcdn.com\/media\/ZgkyMDE0LzA2LzE2L2JlL1R3aXR0ZXJfRmF2LmY5MmJlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn\/a6b7d348\/273\/Twitter_Faves.jpg\" alt=\"Mashable\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twitter redesign aids job seekers, Mashable 2014<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Here are some top tips for creating a professional online profile:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>LinkedIn:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Showcase what makes YOU special<\/li>\n<li>Have an updated profile with all your relevant experience<\/li>\n<li>Include a professional photo<\/li>\n<li>Connect to others with a purpose (Steimle, 2013)<\/li>\n<li>Share regularly and wisely (Halzack, 2013)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Twitter:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Showcase what makes YOU special<\/li>\n<li>Be distinctive<\/li>\n<li>Professional profile photo<\/li>\n<li>Share and RT content you are genuinely interested in<\/li>\n<li>Follow companies \/ individuals in industries you want to work in<\/li>\n<li>Show your personality &#8211; keep your audience in mind!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bring all your profiles together via the platform About.me &#8211; to really showcase yourself to employers and get your professional profile noticed.<\/p>\n<p>(406 words)<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Burch. K, <em>Students: how to use LinkedIn at uni to help you get a job when you graduate. <\/em> The Guardian. Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/mortarboard\/2013\/dec\/30\/linkedin-tips-for-students-employability\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/mortarboard\/2013\/dec\/30\/linkedin-tips-for-students-employability<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>Hartwig. E, <em>How to Effectively Use Twitter as a Job Search Resource<\/em>, Mashable. Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/mashable.com\/2013\/02\/09\/twitter-job-search\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/mashable.com\/2013\/02\/09\/twitter-job-search\/<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>Halzack. S, <em>Tips for using LinkedIn to find a job<\/em>, Washington Post.\u00a0Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/capitalbusiness\/tips-for-using-linkedin-to-find-a-job\/2013\/08\/01\/7c50c418-e0ff-11e2-8ae9-5db15d3c0fca_story.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/capitalbusiness\/tips-for-using-linkedin-to-find-a-job\/2013\/08\/01\/7c50c418-e0ff-11e2-8ae9-5db15d3c0fca_story.html<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>LinkedIn, <em>LinkedIn for Students: Your Career Starts Here.\u00a0<\/em>Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YWp6AN00D_c\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YWp6AN00D_c<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>Le Viet. S, <em>Twitter&#8217;s Redesign Makes the Platform Ripe for Recruitment. <\/em>Mashable. Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/mashable.com\/2014\/04\/21\/twitter-redesign-recruitment\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/mashable.com\/2014\/04\/21\/twitter-redesign-recruitment\/<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>Joyce. S,<em>What 80% Of Employers Do Before Inviting You For An Interview. <\/em>Huffington Post. Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/susan-p-joyce\/job-search-tips_b_4834361.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/susan-p-joyce\/job-search-tips_b_4834361.html<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>Steimle. J, <em>Top 3 Tips From a LinkedIn Expert. <\/em>Forbes. Available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/joshsteimle\/2013\/08\/07\/top-3-tips-from-a-linkedin-expert\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/joshsteimle\/2013\/08\/07\/top-3-tips-from-a-linkedin-expert\/<\/a> [Accessed 9\/11\/2014]<\/p>\n<p>Featured Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/pearsonstudents.com\/blog\/clean-it-up-how-social-media-can-make-or-break-your-job-search\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/pearsonstudents.com\/blog\/clean-it-up-how-social-media-can-make-or-break-your-job-search\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p><br \/>  <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/feeds.wordpress.com\/1.0\/gocomments\/lucyhewsy.wordpress.com\/145\/\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.wordpress.com\/1.0\/comments\/lucyhewsy.wordpress.com\/145\/\" \/><\/a> <img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/pixel.wp.com\/b.gif?host=lucyhewsy.wordpress.com&#038;blog=76191199&%23038;post=145&%23038;subd=lucyhewsy&%23038;ref=&%23038;feed=1\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today more than ever, it is vital that we have a professional online presence given that &ldquo;80% of employers Google job seekers before inviting them into an interview!&rdquo; (Joyce, 2014) This percentage certainly shocked me and got me thinking, what is the best way to create an authentic professional online presence and self-brand ourselves to [&hellip;]<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/pixel.wp.com\/b.gif?host=lucyhewsy.wordpress.com&amp;blog=76191199&amp;post=145&amp;subd=lucyhewsy&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94710,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1032103],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-topic-3-2014","column","threecol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":436,"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181\/revisions\/436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2033\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}