How Building Strong Online Presence Can Help You Land Your Dream Job
Now more than ever, how you represent yourself online can have a big impact on your life. Say the wrong thing and you can be shunned, but say something right and you might gain a following.
This is also true as it pertains to your career. Employers have learned to check out their potential employees’ online presence to get a better picture of what type of person they truly are.
How is your online presence looking? Could it use a little sprucing up? Follow these tips below to build a strong online presence and land that dream job.
1. Delete The Old, Build The New
Depending on how old you are, you may still have some old social profiles lingering around that are no longer relevant.
After you’ve deleted these oldies, it’s time to make sure you’ve got all the key profiles up and running to be found by your next best boss.
Here is a shortlist of the main online profiles you should set up if you don’t already have them:
- Personal Website
There are other social media platforms that you can use if you know how and you have a strong following but these five are the top engaging social sites.
If you are starting from scratch, read a bit more about how to set up a professional online profile here.
2. Stay Consistent
It is important to be consistent with your various online profiles. This doesn’t mean that you need to copy and paste your intro and use the exact same profile pic with each platform but you do need to be recognizable.
You want to be sure that you are staying with the same theme or message throughout the internet. Employers will be more likely to trust you and what you are putting out there if it is similar to each profile they visit.
3. Be Authentic
Don’t be a catfish of the professional world. If your online presence portrays you to be one of the top minds in your industry, potential employers will expect you to be able to deliver that level of work.
You can’t lie or even stretch the truth online to be noticed. When building your online presence, it’s important that you be authentic.
Even if you are just beginning your career, everyone has strengths that they can highlight. Find yours and make them sparkle. Need some inspiration?
This article has some great pointers on how to create effective professional profiles.
4. Use SEO to Your Advantage
If you want to be noticed, you need to have a basic understanding of how to get your profiles in front of the right people.
When building your website and profiles, be sure to include important keywords that will optimize your online presence to be found by the right person.
You’ll want to include your name in the domain of your personal website so that employers will find it right away.
You will also want to include hashtags for industry-specific skills or certifications you hold in your Facebook and Instagram posts.
Imagine you are trying to hire someone like yourself. What words would come to mind? Be sure that these words are included in your LinkedIn profile so that potential employers will have you on their list.
5. Stay Engaged
Once you are finished setting up and polishing your online profiles and personal website, you can’t just sit back and wait for a wave of employers to beat down your door.
Your online presence is not a set it and forget it type of action. You need to stay engaged.
Join Facebook groups in your industry and comment. Like and follow leaders in your industry through Instagram. Comment here as well.
Open up a discussion on LinkedIn on a relevant topic or participate in someone else’s. Share relevant information and links on Twitter.
And if you complete a project or achieve a milestone, update your profile to include those accomplishments, humbly, of course.
Conclusion
You can’t neglect to keep a close eye on what you have on the internet if you want to be perceived as a professional.
Just as you would want to wear your best suit or dress for that big interview, you want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward with your online presence.
If you follow the tips above, you will no doubt be seen by any employer who Googles you as someone worthy of a second look.
Then, when they contact you and you are sent an employment contract to sign, you’ll be glad you followed through.
