How Your Social Footprint Can Help (or Hurt) Your Chances of Securing an Interview
What happens when you Google your name?
Does it show your Facebook page and nothing else? Are there two posts from an old blog that you quit using five years ago? Or does it show the profiles and accomplishments of other people with the same name as you?
If the answer is “Yes” to any of these questions, then that might be the first nail in your chance’s coffin. Here in the age of social media employers aren’t shy about using the internet to check out your credentials. That’s why a strong social presence can make the difference between a phone call from your prospective employer requesting an interview, or an email from those companies considerate enough to send something, beginning, “We regret to inform you…”
Cultivating a professional, top-notch social-footprint can be trickier than it first seems. How well does your social profile hold up against others who are looking for the same job? Keep in mind that employers are only one click away from seeing your LinkedIn profile, and those of your potential rivals. If you are an executive, or work in technology or finance, a poorly written or non-existent LinkedIn profile will put your application on a one-way trip to the “no” stack.
So, what’s the solution? How do you make sure that employers read and bookmark your LinkedIn profile? Expert guidance doesn’t hurt. A social-media savvy Professional Resume and LinkedIn Profile writer can help you stand out from the thousands of other job hunters who have their eyes set on your dream job.
You can also do it yourself. Don’t be afraid to tell your story proudly, and don’t hold back. It proves a difficult challenge for many accomplished professionals to write about themselves. If you choose to go it alone, step back, and write your profile as though you were writing about a close friend or business colleague.
But LinkedIn is just the tip of the online iceberg. The next step is to wow hiring-managers and corporate head hunters by publishing professional blogs under your name. Most blogging platforms are indexed by Google, Bing and the other indexers so you’re articles are likely to appear when a recruiter searches on your name. Moreover, your blog articles may be discovered by hiring manager researching a meaningful topic. A sharp, witty blog that features insightful articles about your field of expertise can add that little extra push that persuades employers to dial your number.
There are new services beginning to pop-up, like Footprint Frog, that helps executives manage their social presence by ghostwriting and promoting customized blog articles.
Be honest with yourself. Can you list Google as one of your references? If not, get to it, and start your LinkedIn profile.