We recently discussed creating a LinkedIn profile in our mselect career service guide. Today, we'd like to take that further and help you show up online in a way that creates a professional online presence to help you find work.
What is a professional online presence?
A professional online presence refers to the image and reputation you build online. It encompasses all the digital touchpoints associated with you and your brand, including social media profiles, personal websites, blogs, online portfolios, and other online platforms.
Does having an online presence help me find a job?
Employers may consider your online presence when deciding whether to interview you or establish your suitability for a position. Having an online presence that speaks to your professionalism, knowledge and skill sets will help give them clarity on who you are, what you do and what you stand for.
Think of your online presence as a credibility marker.
Does that affect my privacy?
Any employer who examines your online activity must abide by a moral and ethical code and not make assumptions about you solely based on what they see online. Their approach should be anti-discriminatory.
To ensure that your privacy is maintained, consider what you share online and with whom you share it. That doesn't mean you can't share family photos with friends or loved ones; instead, you might choose to set those profiles to private.
Where to start building your professional online presence
Having a professional online presence is a great help when looking for a job or building a career, but where you start building that presence must be a careful choice.
We recommend that everyone start with a LinkedIn profile. Think of your LinkedIn profile as a living CV - something you can build over time. Once you have your initial content, you need to keep it up to date by adding things like industry commentary and successful projects.
You can further enhance your positive online presence by creating websites, online portfolios, podcasts, interviews and blogs if that reflects further credibility in your job hunt. In most cases, those in more creative jobs or looking for C-suite promotions will be the types of people who consider further platforms.
What are employers looking for when they search online profiles?
When building a credible online presence, it's vital to understand what employers consider professional standards.
Essentially, all employers are looking to back up your CV. They also want to see that your online interactions and conduct match your professional goals and values.
While an online presence can certainly impact a candidate's chances of being hired, it's just one piece of the puzzle. Employers rely heavily on candidates' qualifications, experience, and interview performance to decide their final hiring.
How do you build a professional online presence for a job search?
There are several things you can do to build a professional online presence. Here are our tips on how to get started:
Set your personal and family social accounts to private
Create online profiles in places where you can show your skills (LinkedIn, websites, blogs, etc)
Clean up and update any existing professional profiles
Create content posts that speak to your industry, skills, knowledge, goals and values.
Join relevant networking groups and engage in a way that reflects your professional thoughts, goals and values.
Always engage with your network and contribute to online conversations in a positive, meaningful way.
We hope that this guide has given you a healthy start to showing up online professionally. In our following guide, we will discuss networking strategies - please join us!