These days, it’s standard practice for agencies and hiring managers to evaluate a candidate’s online presence before extending a job offer. There are only three possible outcomes:
- What they find discourages them from hiring you
- What they find has no effect on the hiring decision
- What they find encourages them to hire you
Obviously you’d like to fall into that last category, but if you’re like most job seekers the reality lies in one of the other two. Below we’ve outline some strategies to help you begin building your online brand and turning your digital presence into a job-search asset.
Perfect Your LinkedIn Account
Your LinkedIn profile is likely the centerpiece of your professional identity online. For that reason, it needs to be filled-in completely and as personalized as possible. Avoid being bland and vague and use the tools of LinkedIn to give your profile some character. Then reach out to other professionals and start participating in the conversation surrounding your industry.
Start a Personal Website
Having you own website gives you a limitless foundation to build your brand upon. Try to get a domain of your own name and then fill out the website with your resume, career highlights, articles written by you, and other valuable content. As traffic to your site increases you’ll establish yourself as a unique industry authority.
Tweet Regularly
Twitter is an easy way to broadcast your own thoughts and opinions to an audience of potentially tens of millions of people. That makes it a great tool for branding. Connect with other professionals saying interesting and relevant things on Twitter and start speaking back. Over time you’ll develop an audience of followers curious about what you have to say.
Stay Active on Social Media
LinkedIn may be the professional social network, but other networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest all have professional applications too. First, make sure that all your profiles present a professional image of you, with any personal information or pictures set to private. Then start following companies, experts, legislators, media outlets, peers – anything that could be relevant to your industry and career.
Once you’ve developed your online brand, the first thing a recruiter will see when they search for your name is your thoughtful posts, insightful comments, incisive opinions, and large professional following. That immediately sets you apart from every other applicant. Discover more 21st century job-search strategies by working with JH Technical Services.