Today, Meghan Houle from The Bowerman Group will share some thoughts with you on managing your professional profile and keeping up with the digital media space.

 

Let’s face it: social media is all around us and is the way people are connected these days. This is why it’s so important that you manage your personal online brand professionally as you navigate through your career.

 

Think about it—when you put yourself out there as a candidate, recruiters and employers alike are using Google to get more information about you. Because of this, it is critical to keep your professional profile up to date, especially if you use LinkedIn as a platform to be visible in the social media job world. If you have not touched your Linkedin account since 2009, now is the time to clean it up!

 

With LinkedIn, it’s all about the attention to detail and making sure your industry experience, dates, and timelines match up with your resume. On your LinkedIn page, it is always good to add a bio to speak to who you are, highlighting key successes, passions, awards, and even hobbies. Be sure to add your education and other certifications you may have as well. This all contributes to building a strong professional presence, ensuring all your information is up to date and accurate.

 

The final step and arguably one of the most important in our world of fashion and luxury brands is adding a good, professional profile picture.  It is important to put a face with a name when you come up in searches and leave a positive visual impression.

 

 

Hiring authorities will look at your profile online as soon as your resume pops up as someone of interest, so you only have one chance to make a great first impression.

 

Another point to think about in the professional online space is how you post and contribute to certain social media platforms and how it aligns with your personal brand message. You should always stay true and consistent with how you want to be perceived by employers—do not post something just to post. Inspire people with a motivational quote or an interesting read. Give feedback, but also “play nice in the sandbox”, so to speak—no oversharing or speaking directly to politics.  Remember, your digital footprint cannot ever really be deleted.

 

Although we as recruiters can make an important difference in your presentation to hiring authorities, your online presence must support that presentation.  When your online platforms work in harmony and your personal brand message is strong, it can really help you to get noticed in the right way!

 

If you have any questions about managing your professional online brand or there’s anything else we can assist you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be glad to help you.