Your Online Presence Must be Professional<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Dave Jensen<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Networking is an ingrained habit, and it isn\u2019t something that is easily put on paper. If you were asked to write an article called \u201cHow to Drive a Car,\u201d you would most likely focus on safety and the rules of the road. But, if the reader had never been in the driver\u2019s seat, that would not suffice. What would be needed would be an article describing the actual hands-on-the-wheel process \u2013 a list of \u201cto do\u2019s\u201d in numerical order, starting with \u201cGet into the driver\u2019s seat and put your hands on the wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it is easy enough to write up a protocol for driving, I wouldn\u2019t want to be anywhere on the road near the person who learned to drive in this manner. Similarly, if you are just getting out there to network, you\u2019ll find that this is an activity with a mind of its own. You might crash and burn on an attempt or two. How it will fare for you depends on many outside factors, as well as a significant amount of determination and persistence on your part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Networking should<\/em> be a habit for you. It is my goal this month to get you as comfortable as possible with all the elements of your developing habit. Like driving a car, networking should become such a part of your life that you don\u2019t even need to think about it. You may consciously put a campaign into motion when you need a job, but good networking is so much more than just a job seeker\u2019s tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, I don\u2019t like the word <\/strong>‘Networking.\u201d I think it is one of the most overused words in articles of this sort. It gets thrown at you by every person you ask for advice during a job search. But there is no getting around the fact that it’s the single most important activity for any job seeker. Done right, networking means the difference between a year-long job search and one that produces job offers in a month or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For years, I\u2019ve been a proponent of the hands-on<\/em> job search instead of focusing only on LinkedIn or some job search engine. I still advocate this . . . Rather than hiding behind a computer screen, I advocate getting out there, talking to others about their roles and their own personal career transitions, and learning from other people’s experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing a strong LinkedIn presence can and should be a part of your overall job-seeking plan, but it isn\u2019t being done to prevent you from going out and meeting people in the real \u2013 not digital \u2013 world. You will use LinkedIn to help optimize your chances of being \u201cfound\u201d by those who, like me, use the LinkedIn pages in developing the traction that fills positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Few Degrees of Separation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As you probably know, the philosophy at work behind LinkedIn is that everyone is connected via just a few degrees of separation. Each one of your contacts has their own contacts that you can tap into via LinkedIn, allowing you to advance your career by transforming those online leads into assets. That\u2019s the key. What may begin as Internet contacts list should end up benefiting you in a very real way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone you\u2019d love to meet, who could prove very important in your job hunt, is just one or two degrees away from you, connected to people you already know. The first step, if you want to get the most out of other people’s connections, is to ensure that your<\/em> connections are meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best connections are with people you know well \u2013 people who can provide a positive reference about you when they receive a connection request. It isn\u2019t the total number of connections you show on your LinkedIn profile that advances your job search — it\u2019s the quality of those connections. Once you are connected to work mates and close friends, branch out from there–but do it methodically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The overriding rule of the LinkedIn world is that both parties should sense a kind of real connection. If you\u2019ve met, even briefly, or share a common interest that you can call upon in a well-written introduction, it\u2019s fine to approach that person for a connection. Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed that some folks just blindly send LI invitations out in bulk. That\u2019s just sad, in my opinion. I accept them because I\u2019m a headhunter, but I\u2019d far prefer to receive a note as well along with 2-3 lines about the connection or common interests we share. All I want to see is a statement that doesn\u2019t have the \u201cbulk\u201d feel, something about our ties or what I\u2019ve been interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you approach, don’t use the site\u2019s boilerplate “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” as many people consider that spam. Instead, send a personal note in the field that LinkedIn offers you for this purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use LinkedIn the Same Way That Headhunters Do<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have just 300 people on your LinkedIn roster, but that gives you access to many more who are still two degrees of separation away from you. And by the way that LinkedIn works, those 2nd<\/sup> degree contacts are still available for you to view and write. Those 300 contacts of yours might yield access to more than 300,000 connections!<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a recruiter like me it’s a great resource, but an employer would be crazy to pay me a recruiter\u2019s fee if all I did was search an Internet site. I like LinkedIn because it allows me to ask those \u201cWho do you know?\u201d questions that headhunters are known for. You \u2013 the job seeker \u2013 can use the site in the exact same way, with people who will share their experiences in a career transition, or by seeking information on the type of job you are interested in. Did you find an interesting person with similar experience to yours who is in an ideal job? Chances are, if approached politely, you may have the opportunity to meet by phone and get a few \u201cHow did you pull it off?\u201d questions answered. People don\u2019t mind talking about themselves a bit, if you don\u2019t overstay your welcome. Keep communications short and sweet until you see how they go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as in real-world networking, the focus of a contact at LinkedIn is to find mutual areas of interest, not to overtly seek job leads. Those leads will come once you start growing your field of contacts, so do not<\/em> ask your LinkedIn contacts \u201cDo you have any openings?\u201d right out of the chute. It\u2019s Rule #1 for in-person networking and for Internet networking as well. . . you are on a search for information and the experiences of others. Do not go around \u201cnetworking\u201d by asking people if they have open positions \u2013 that\u2019s the kiss of death. You\u2019ll hear about it if they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Help the Search Engines Find You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you set up your online profile, do so in a way that increases your likelihood of being found. Set up your public profile on LinkedIn or any other social media so that it is available to someone who comes across it via a search engine, and use your real name for the public-profile URL on LinkedIn. I think it\u2019s a big mistake to (as some are doing on LinkedIn) put up only an initial for the last name. Talk about a short-cut to fewer quality contacts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoid any texting abbreviations as you write up your LinkedIn profile, and write in your best \u201cbusiness English.\u201d While many profiles simply list the current job affiliation, it is far better for you to show all your relevant prior work experiences (you can leave out that McDonalds stint during high school). A wider world of networking opportunities will arise when you list each of the locations at which you\u2019ve worked or trained professionally, with enough detail on the specifics so that viewers can sense what you were doing in that job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Environment Well-Suited to Job Seekers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n LinkedIn differs from social networking sites where considerable damage can be done to one\u2019s career if you aren\u2019t careful. Photos of beer bongs and bachelorette parties can turn off hiring managers. So, keep an eye open for stuff you\u2019ve posted elsewhere and ensure you have a cohesive, professional online presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But will LinkedIn or any other Internet networking land you a job? I can\u2019t promise you that, but I can tell you without a doubt that it will introduce you to more hiring managers and recruiters. I wouldn’t have said this a few years ago, but it is possible to find fertile job-seeking turf on the Internet after all. Just don\u2019t let the \u2018net get out of balance with real, live<\/em> networking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Listen to Dave’s Podcast below:<\/p>\n\n\n\nDevelop Your Contact Database<\/h2>\n\n\n\n