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Manage Your
Online Presence

As the world becomes more digital, how you use social media plays a significant role in the job market.

Why is an Online Presence Important?

 

Stand Out from the Competition: Your online presence offers an opportunity to impress potential employers and differentiate yourself from other candidates. A well-crafted profile showcases your skills, especially in technology and written communication. In some industries, having a strong online presence can even lead to recruiters reaching out to you directly for interviews. This is particularly common in fields with skill shortages or niche expertise, where recruiters actively seek out potential hires.

 

The Two Golden Rules

 

  1. Only post content you would be comfortable with an employer or colleague seeing. If unsure, it’s best not to post.

  2. Familiarise yourself with privacy settings on social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and use them wisely. However, always assume rule #1 applies, even with maximum privacy settings.

 

Six Steps to Improve Your Online Presence

 

  1. Audit Your Online Presence: Search your name and keywords like your university, industry, or field on common social media platforms. Evaluate the impression this might give to an employer. Is it professional and in line with the image you want to project?

  2. Remove Sensitive or Inappropriate Content: If there’s content you control, either delete it or adjust its visibility. If needed, search for guides on removing personal information.

  3. Replace with Positive Content: Create or update a LinkedIn profile to ensure that desirable content appears in search results. Make your LinkedIn profile publicly visible (a simplified version visible to search engines).

  4. Benchmark Your Profile Against Others: Search for other professionals in your field to see how they present themselves online. Take note of what impresses you and consider incorporating similar strategies.

  5. Enhance Your Profile: Decide on your professional goals, and add content to your profile that reflects this—consider sharing insightful articles or contributing informed commentary. Starting a blog or vlog can also be a great way to build a professional image.

  6. Maintain Separate Profiles for Personal and Professional Use: Consider creating a dedicated profile for your professional presence to keep your personal and professional content separate.

 

Using LinkedIn

 

LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking tool, allowing you to connect with colleagues, create an online profile (like a virtual CV), find job opportunities, and participate in industry discussions. It also offers tools like the alumni feature, which can help you discover potential career paths and job openings.

 

If you’re new to LinkedIn, begin with a free account and explore privacy and settings to personalize your experience. In some industries, LinkedIn is essential, while others might use alternative platforms. Ask industry contacts about popular networking platforms if LinkedIn usage seems low in your field.

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LinkedIn Checklist

 

  • Professional Photo: Use a high-quality, professional image.

  • Positive Headline: Write a clear, descriptive headline, e.g., “Biochemistry student seeking lab-based placements” instead of just “Student at [University].”

  • Complete Your Profile: Add relevant keywords and complete multiple sections to improve search visibility.

  • List Experience: Include all relevant work experience, even unpaid roles, in the “Experience” section for better visibility.

  • Skills and Endorsements: Add your skills and take available quizzes to earn skill badges. Endorse others’ skills, and they might reciprocate.

  • Customise Your URL: Personalise your LinkedIn URL to share on your CV.

  • Build Connections: Add contacts from work or volunteer experiences and request recommendations.

  • Explore Alumni Tool: Use the alumni tool on the University of Reading page for insights on potential career paths.

  • Set Career Interests: Use this tool to tailor job recommendations and communicate your goals to recruiters.

  • Job Alerts: Save job searches and set up alerts to stay updated on openings.

  • Review Privacy and Settings: Go through privacy options to set your preferences.

 

Other Social Media for Professional Networking

 

While LinkedIn is designed for professional networking, other platforms are valuable too. Twitter is popular in politics, journalism, and financial sectors, Instagram is widely used in creative fields, and platforms like Discord are popular for IT and gaming networking. Tailoring your online presence across these platforms can enhance your visibility and industry connections.

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