(Credits: Google)
What’s professional to you?
Some might say it’s about having the key qualities, others might say it’s about being experienced, skillful and knowledgeable.
(Credits: Infographic)
Having a professional profile is part of self-branding. It is a way to market yourself into the industry and making yourself known. Statistics has shown that 92% of the companies use social media (eg. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to recruit. Social media is now a primary tool to look for jobs. The more you are encouraged to create an online professional profile!
How do you do it then?
Blogging as an alternative?
(Credits: Google)An individual can create professional accounts on LinkedIn or other recruitment websites. LinkedIn is surveyed as one of the top most used recruitment website. A way to market yourself is by creating a blog of your own and try link it to LinkedIn! It is a platform for you to be exposed to the community. This also increase the chances of referrals, increasing your job opportunities too!
Blogging might make you stand out from the crowds. Having a blog allows you to be creative. The design of the webpage would be your first impressions to your potential employers. On addition, you can blog about your daily lives too. It’s real, it’s you.
In addition, having a blog requires you to be constantly updated. Thus, doing researches are essential. It provides an image of self-discipline and making an effort to stay relevant to the industry trends.
Online resume
Youtube can also be an engaging alternative to showcase your KSAO! You wouldn’t have to write all those boring resumes anymore!
(Creative right? You might wanna try this when you graduate!)
But…
What’s the point if it is all artificial? If it’s not the real you?
Statistics have shown 93% of hiring managers will review a candidate’s social profile before making a hiring decision. So, it is important for you to “clean up” your personal social media before uploading your professional profile. Imagine yourself as the recruitment manager, what do you look for in your recruitee?
Do you want to end up like Justine Sacco?
“your tweet lives on forever.”
Providing false particulars and experiences might help you pass your first phase of interview, but what if there’s a surprise assesment? Can you do it? To be honest, just be truthful and be yourself.
In conclusion, having an authentic profile is all about being truthful. Like what Yahoo’s former manager had said, “Trust is earned, it is essential to professional success.” Linking back to Topic 2, having multiple identities provides one with obscurity but it is also important for that individual to filter their future updates and statuses. It’s the fundamental to protect your online professional profile.
References:
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/blog-linkedin-profile/
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
http://www.seriousjobseeker.com/2013/03/93-only-yahoos-lie-on-their-resumes.html
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
http://time.com/money/3510967/jobvite-social-media-profiles-job-applicants/
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-recruiting-infographic/
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
http://www.theemployable.com/index.php/2014/10/28/blogging-can-help-get-job/
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?_r=2
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
https://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting_Survey2014.pdf
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
http://moocs.southampton.ac.uk/websci/2014/03/13/ill-tweet-job-spec-snap-cv/
[Accessed on 5 November 2015]
It Never Ends 
“…having multiple identities provides one with obscurity but it is also important for that individual to filter their future updates and statuses.”
Indeed, it is as you say… having multiple identities does gives us obscurity online and might even provide us with a certain degree of safety. As we previously discussed in our comments, having just one single identity might not be the best of ideas.
The risk of having a singular, authentic profile can lead to security risks as all our information are online free-for-all.
I have these to ask…
When creating a professional profile online, do we TOTALLY clean up our digital footprint?
Does this mean we need to destroy other identities in order to do this?
The way I see it, if we don’t… those problematic postings could still be sniffed out online.
You mentioned “…to filter their future updates and statuses.”
Is that enough? Our PAST seems to always have a way of catching up to us.
Please do let me know what you think.
Thanks! 😉
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Hi Edward!
Thank you for your lovely comment!
Well, you see.. It is nearly impossible to remove ALL your digital footprints on the net. You wouldn’t know if someone has all your photos even though you’ve deleted them on Facebook.
But what i suggested is that you try to clean it as much as you can. That’s the best you can do!
As mentioned above, it is nearly impossible to remove EVERYTHING. Even if you manage to destroy all your identities,with the advancement of technologies such as cloud storage, what’s posted on the internet remains in the clouds today.
The moral of the story… Just do the best within your limits and you’re good to go!
Hope you find my answer useful!
Cheers,
Yixin 🙂
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