Here are some tips on how to maximize your online presence, build meaningful relationships, and connect with people who may be able to help you in your search.
- 1. Create profiles on business and social networking and online identity sites to make it easier to be found by hiring managers.
- 2. With traditional networking you can only be in one place at a time; with online networking you can interact with multiple communities simultaneously.
- 3. Put your name in quotes into a search engine and see what comes back. Do you exist online and is your online presence distinctive?
- 4. Networking sites are not just for socializing; they are robust searchable databases full of critical information on people and companies.
- 5. Every online community has its own culture. Spend some time observing the culture before you jump in.
- 6. Nix the “I’m looking for work” status updates when chatting in online communities. They make you sound desperate and don’t show your value.
- 7. Online networking does not have a “build it and they will come” mentality; work your online network daily.
- 8. Spend about an hour a day working your online network.
- 9. Hiring managers conduct online searches on candidates before the interview and may reject candidates based on what they do or do not find.
- 10. People who don’t think online networking is relevant to their job search will become irrelevant to the hiring managers who think it is.
- 11. Add a professional headshot to your online profiles. When the photo is missing, people wonder why.
- 12. When inviting someone to your online network, be authentic and write a personal message. Nothing screams “lazy” like a canned invitation.
- 13. Take the time to create a robust profile on your networking sites; a complete profile is more searchable by recruiters and hiring managers.
- 14. Create a public profile with a vanity URL on your networking profiles, with your first and last name, to maximize your exposure.
- 15. Commit to adding at least five new contacts per week and reconnecting with at least five people in your network each week.
- 16. Reconnecting with someone you haven’t spoken to in years by calling them is awkward; reconnecting through social media platforms is not.
- 17. Online networking is a great option for shy job seekers because unlike live networking, you can craft or edit a message before you hit send.