Today’s guest author is Hannah Morgan. She’s got 10 great tips for your online presence that will make a strong difference in your job search success:
10 Ways to Become Master of Your Digital Terrain
Leaving your online reputation to chance is dangerous to your career health. What will someone find if they search for your name online? Will the information they find on page one contain the best information about you? You can and should control this. Here’s how!
Go Google Yourself
Before you do anything, search for your name using Google, Bing and Yahoo. Your past searches may influence your search results, so be sure to clear your cache. This will ensure you see the same results others would view if they were searching for you. Type your name in the search window using quotation marks like this “Jane Doe”. Where does the right reference to your name appear in the search results? Your goal is to develop numerous references to the best content about you on the first page of search results.
If you have a LinkedIn profile, it will usually appear on the first page of search results. These are some ways to improve your LinkedIn profile:
- Customize your LinkedIn public profile URL using the name people would use to search for you.
- Incorporate the right key words in your headline, summary, and expertise sections.
- Upload a professional headshot
- Use SlideShare of Box applications to enrich your profile and give it the feel of a portfolio
- Build up your connects so it reflects your real-life network
- Give and get some good-quality recommendations
- Use your profile URL on your resume, business card, and email signature
Facebook also ranks high in search results. If you already have a Facebook account make sure you’ve addressed these elements:
- Complete the professional section on your profile to include your work history and projects.
- Include professional information in the about section
- Always use keywords and phrases to highlight desirable skills consistently
Amazon
If you are an avid reader or just want to showcase what you have read, consider writing a customer review on Amazon. Select a book that is relevant to your work or industry, demonstrate your strong writing skills. Most importantly, take time to complete your Amazon profile information.
Twitter profiles and tweets are public and searchable. This is a good way for you to build digital content and a presence online. Here are some other tips to help you build a presence on Twitter:
- You only have 160 characters in your Twitter bio to highlight keyword, use them wisely
- Upload a headshot, preferably the same one you used on LinkedIn
- Send out several tweets immediately sharing content relevant to your industry or occupation
- Follow industry movers and shakers
- Create lists to organize what you see in your Twitter stream
- Engage- never spam or overly self-promote
Google+
A Google+ profile gives you the opportunity to. And, of course, Google+ profiles rank pretty well in Google searches.
- There is plenty of room for you to write a keyword-rich introduction
- Use your headshot
- Add a headline
- Complete your profile by including your occupation, employment history, education
- Link to your other social profiles and photo-sharing applications
- Consider Google+ a distribution channel for articles, posts, and other information you want to share
- Add interesting people and brands to your circles
- Host or participate in a Hangout (online video chat very much like Skype or a webinar platform)
SlideShare
SlideShare showcases your documents, videos and PowerPoint slide decks. This platform has dual benefits. First, it serves as a portfolio of your work. Second, you can link your Slideshare presentations inside your LinkedIn profile for an even stronger representation of your abilities.
- Create a PowerPoint presentation highlighting your career accomplishments and/or testimonials
- Share samples of reports, newsletters, or other documents you’ve created
WordPress
If you have thought about blogging or are considering a blog as a personal website, WordPress is the favored tool. Without a lot of knowledge on how website work, you can build a site to highlight your professional expertise.
- Invest in buying your own domain name “your name.com” which increases your ability to rank highly in search results.
- Comment on popular blogs by using your professional profile
Personal Page Builder
Creating a personal page doesn’t take much time. Consider it a landing page to learn more about you. There are many free personal page options such as About.me, Flavors.me, and Zerply.com.
- Use your keyword-rich bio or summary
- Link to online examples of your work from Slideshare or Box or articles referencing your professional accomplishments
- Include links to the social networks you are active on
Sharing images that are professionally and personally significant is just one more way to increase your online exposure. Pinterest provides you with another way to visually represent your talents, interests, and knowledge.
- Create a keyword rich bio
- Use your headshot
- Create a reading list, collection of industry infographics, or examples of your work
- Share links to your pins on Facebook, LinkedIn and all the other social networks
- Follow other industry pinners
Time Commitment
This list may seem overwhelming at first glance, don’t worry. You may already be using some of these social networks and you may only need to spruce them up a bit. If you are not using some of these social outlets, they don’t necessarily require daily updates. The purpose for having these online profiles is to develop online content referencing your name so that search engines can find what you want them to find and the sites mentioned above already have high ranking search engine status, giving you the power to elevate your name!
About Hannah Morgan
Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author, guiding new job seekers through the treacherous terrain of job search. If you are looking for no-nonsense advice, check out her site Career Sherpa, and follow Hannah on Twitter for the latest job search news and trends! Stay tuned for her upcoming book “ Social Networking for Business Success: Turn Your Interests Into Income” co-authored by Miriam Salpeter and published by LearningExpress, LLC.
Hi, These tips are great. I set up my online presence some time ago and manage it on an ongoing basis. My expertise is in digital marketing so I am very familiar to using personal websites and social media for self promotion. Recently I set up a student/career blog http://www.myunstoppablecareer.com/ and have begun posting weekly to my LinkedIn network. Already, I have begun receiving job invitations. In a few weeks, I will be inviting the top recruiters in my field to connect with me to see if I can generate more direct interest, before I commence applying for jobs and siting interviews. I do have a personal name websites, but I am using it for another project.
I really liked your point about doing a Google search on yourself. I am always surprised at how job seekers don’t do this. Reputation is everything so conducting an audit of your own digital assets is a must.