Good Online Presence for Job Searching and Development

Today, most of job searching and recruitment is done online. As recruiters use the Internet as a complementary tool and most of them type the names of candidates in search engines prior to deciding on a first interview, what the web and social networks remember and say about you is essential to define the image you want to convey to recruiters and potential employers.

So how do you optimize your online presence to boost your career development?

Positive online reputation:

It’s important to define the image you want to show recruiters and companies through social media. Truth is, as soon as you apply for a job offer, recruiters google your name and visit your profiles to learn more about your personality, your interests, and your skills before deciding if they should call you for a first interview. Your image should, therefore, be positive and reflect who you are.

Online image on professional social networks and platforms:

Your LinkedIn profile is like an online resume accessible to everyone. It has your professional experiences, your educational background, your skills, a description of yourself, and all of this has to be in harmony with who you are and your career development goals. A complete profile is a proof of seriousness for recruiters, while at the same time allowing for better referencing. Spread a positive self-image. Convey values such as dynamism, openness to others, team spirit... Are you the major of your promotion? Author of an article, a thesis, or a publication? Did you volunteer in some project? Are you recommended by former colleagues or employers? This information is valuable to your online reputation and important to share. Having a dynamic profile offers greater visibility on the web. It is not enough to be there, share professional content if possible, and interact with opinion and industry leaders in your network. The more a profile is checked, the more it will be visible in the Web feed.

To showcase your best work and promote yourself, your online presence on portfolio sites and platforms will definitely increase your chances of landing a new job. These vary according to fields: Some of the most well-known in the creative field are:

• Behance
• Adobe Portfolio
• PortfolioBox
• Crevado Portfolios
• Flickr
• Portfoliopen
• Glossom
• Jobrary
• Shown’d
• Carbonmade
•  YouPic
•  DeviantArt.

Online image on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other general social networks:

If professional social networks (such as Viadeo or LinkedIn) represent direct extensions of your resume, social networks such as Facebook or Instagram highlight personal content. Avoid exposing yourself too flagrantly. When the recruiter is about to discover your "personal" side, it is preferable that it remains positive and not contradicting with the professional image you show on professional platforms.

Compromising images and videos, negative comments easily get around the web and seriously damage your e-reputation. Your social media pages’ content can seriously damage your reputation on the web and therefore, your professional career. Recruiters, but also managers, never hesitate to consult social networks to find out more about the profile of their candidates. So always be careful what you post on your social networks. Use them with the utmost caution, and do not expose your private life to everyone.

Safeguard your information

It is very important to protect your personal and professional data in an effective and relevant way in order to avoid inappropriate comments and unsuitable photos. You must manage the security of your data on a daily basis both on your personal site and on social networks. Restricting access and changing the password helps protect against hacking. You can also manage your privacy settings if you want to keep certain information only between yourself and the people with whom you are connected.

Before any meeting, appointment, or job interview, there is a search on Google. It has become the reflex of recruiters and potential employers. It is therefore now imperative to control your online image. Make sure you put the odds in your favour by increasing your online visibility and managing your e-reputation to land a great job and secure a bright future