Discuss the ways in which an authentic online professional profile can be developed.
“It 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.” (Weiler)
It is important to connect and collaborate with online professionals and companies to develop an authentic online professional profile. In the age of social media, we have countless outlets for building such profiles which can be used for job searching and connecting with employers (Hartwig, 2013), be it through sites such as LikedIn, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Pintrest or YouTube. LinkedIn is conceivably one of the most universal ways in which an online professional profile can be developed, with Facebook and Twitter following closely behind and ever growing in use for online professional profiles (Jobvite, 2012).
How can an authentic professional profile be developed with LinkedIn?
With over 175 million registered users, the professional networking site LinkedIn has become one of the key ways in which an online professional profile can be developed. As we live in a visual world, it is important that an authentic professional profile on LinkedIn has a photo attached; but it is of even greater importance that this photo is suitable for professional audiences, and not geared towards social audiences – such as a holiday photo. It is important not to leave professional online profiles, like LinkedIn profiles, incomplete. Online professional profiles should be created with the purpose of being found; the more incomplete a profile, the less chance there is of employers finding or having interest in such a profile (Hyams, 2012).
Utilising functions such as LinkedIn groups for discussions, questions and commentary is another way to develop an authentic professional profile. It demonstrates interest in a particular field or company further than just a job application, and will help to gain recognition as a genuine professional profile. It is also important to develop an authentic professional online profile by gaining recommendations on LinkedIn from previous or current colleagues. The quality of such recommendations goes a long way in demonstrating authenticity rather than quantity of recommendations, so it is important to only request these from who you have or currently work with and who know you (Hyams, 2012).
Is it all about LinkedIn or are there other platforms that can be used professionally? How can we make these authentic?
Despite considered less reputable for online professional profiles than LinkedIn, Twitter is fast becoming a social networking platform which is used to develop an online professional profile. In order to make such profiles authentic, users should follow companies of interest, retweet and converse with hiring managers to build a rapport, create a 140 character resume and clearly indicate that new job opportunities are of interest. Because Twitter can combine both a person’s personal and professional identities, it is important to keep any tweets ‘clean’ and to adopt a photo with a professional appearance (Silverman, 2013).
Twitter is not the only alternative to LinkedIn, and clearly there are multiple ways in which a professional and authentic online profile can be developed, with only a few being touched upon in this post. For example, musical artists may prefer to represent themselves on YouTube rather than LinkedIn in as a way to portray their professional online profile.
It is important to note that true authentic profiles take time, effort and dedication to develop. A professional profile which is created in the space of a few hours is unlikely to be authentic and a true representation of your professional self (Harris, 2013). Perhaps the most vital element to creating an authentic online professional profile is to remember not to lie; chances are, you will always be caught out! Take for example how the former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson was forced to step down after it was discovered he did not have a computer science degree as his CV claimed.
References:
Harris, L., (2013), Building Your Online Professional Profile, [Online], Available: https://connect.soton.ac.uk/p32693389 [Accessed: 8th March 2014]
Hartwig, E., (2013), How to Effectively Use Twitter as a Job Search Resource, [Online], Available: http://mashable.com/2013/02/09/twitter-job-search [Accessed: 6th March 2014]
Hyams, C., (2012), Personal Branding on LinkedIn: 10 Mistakes to Avoid, [Online], Available: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/11/09/personal-branding-on-linkedin-10-mistakes-to-avoid/ [Accessed: 7th March 2014]
Jobvite, (2012), Social Recruiting Survey Results, [Online], Available: http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite_2012_Social_Recruiting_Survey.pdf [Accessed: 6th March 2014]
Silverman, R., (2013), The New Résumé: It’s 140 Characters, [Online], Available: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323820304578412741852687994?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424127887323820304578412741852687994.html
Weiler, W., [n.d.], 6 Things Your Professional Profile Needs, [Online], Available: http://blog.hiredmyway.com/6-things-your-professional-profile-needs/ [Accessed on 7th March 2014]
Living and Working on the Web 