By Don Goodman
Recent studies show that 90% of employers will look you up online before calling you. What they find can make all the difference between receiving a phone call or going into the "not interested" pile of candidates.
Here are some tips on how to make sure you stand out online.
Do you want to be perceived as having expertise in: Cloud computing? Mobile applications development? Enterprise architectures? An IT Executive leading global initiatives? Or perhaps a top-drawer Network Engineer?
This is important because you must be consistent in how you present yourself.
There are two parts to building an online presence.
The first is establishing yourself on key sites, and then, secondly, creating online activity and content.
There are increasingly more sites where you can build a presence, and this article will focus on just the top sites.
The first place employers will go is LinkedIn where they can see just about everything about you as LinkedIn can also incorporate your online content from Twitter and your blog if you have one. Make sure your profile is 100% complete, that you have at least 3 references and your profile is compelling and brand-supportive.
See LinkedIn for IT Professionals to see the 10 key elements of a good LinkedIn Profile and Job-Hunt's free Guide to LinkedIn for Job Search.
Yes, the 140-character tweet is here to stay. Don’t wait any longer and grab your name on Twitter while you still can.
Major firms are posting jobs on Twitter, and those who follow and engage in conversations with people at the company are in the best position to get noticed. Identify the companies you are interested in and see who is tweeting. Search relevant hashtags, follow the appropriate players, and start intelligently responding to tweets so you can build followers.
See Job-Hunt's free Guide to Twitter for Job Search for additional information.
I will admit I have not yet accepted that professionals need a Facebook page as I see that more for personal information then business. Nonetheless, Facebook is pushing hard to be accepted as a business networking site and many companies have Facebook pages.
My guess is that the reasons to have a Facebook for business page will be more compelling in the next 12 months, so start familiarizing yourself with how targeted companies are using it and join the conversations as relevant.
Check out the articles in Job-Hunt's free Guide to Using Facebook for Job Search for more information.
Once you are on the core identity sites where people can see your profile and credentials, you then need to develop content that supports your brand and positioning. This is primarily done by blogging, tweeting, and article writing.
Attract potential employers and new networking contacts by becoming active and visible in your area of expertise:
Your online identity and presence will make a powerful difference in your job search, so follow these tips and separate yourself from other job candidates.
Don Goodman is a triple-certified nationally recognized career professional (Expert Resume Writer, Certified Career Coach, and Job Search Strategist) with over 20 years of experience helping thousands of people quickly land their next job. Don graduated from the Wharton School of Business and Stanford University’s Executive Program.
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