Ashley Rizzotto joined the Office of Career Development in June 2017 as a full-time Career Advisor. Rizzotto works with current undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni to ensure the confidence and success of those she meets with.
College campuses are buzzing with different technological tools, apps and more to find ways to socially connect with one another. There’s even research on the best times to post your pictures on Instagram to get the most likes –by the way, it’s 8 p.m.
There’s also profound research discussing how your online presence can influence your job search. You’ve all heard the stories before: an unsavory post is made about a supervisor or a customer and suddenly that employee is out of a job.
It’s time to be smart about how you navigate your online presence. Below are a few tips to help you get started.
Build a LinkedIn profile
Think of this as a way to make a first impression before the interviews begin. This active website allows you to connect with your professional network, endorse your peers, record your accomplishments and provide deeper details beyond your resume.
Put your LinkedIn page URL on your business card or resume to direct employers to see if you have any common connections and to show off your media presence.
Follow the prompts while editing your profile to reach an “All-Star” page status. Once you are all set up, LinkedIn is a great place to kick off a job or internship search.
Create a brand with your username and handle
For Example:
Twitter: @RazorTheShark
Facebook: Facebook.com/RazorTheShark
Instagram: RazorTheShark
Using the same personalized handle/weblink name for each of your accounts creates consistency and accurate searches for the media you want employers to see. This makes it easier when an employer is researching to see that the content of those pages belongs to you.
Google yourself
Googling can give you an idea of how an employer may see you. Log out of your Gmail and any personal accounts first so that it can be as similar to an employer’s view as possible.
Don’t like what you see? One way to start pushing down unpleasant google results that can’t be deleted is to start creating your own branding content online. Blogs, LinkedIn, Vlogs and other media platforms that you enjoy can push those unpleasant posts out of the way.
It’s not enough to just create the accounts; be sure to post or interact with other users regularly — approximately once a week — on these sites to show you are engaged in your online presence.
Consider your privacy settings
To some employers, having a privacy setting on your social media makes it look like you have something to hide. Remember — not taking ownership of your brand is giving the power to other people to define you.
Take charge of your professional brand by building a LinkedIn profile, following these tips and checking out nova.edu/career for more information on building your online presence.
