The importance of Google, social media, and your online presence to your job search process.

In a previous blog post we discussed how your online presence can in fact hurt your job search and impede the likelihood that you will get hired at a reputable firm. Now that you are sufficiently warned about the dangers of online profiles, posts and photos; and you have gone out and done the requisite damage control and tightening of your proverbial privacy belt; it is time to focus on the positive. It is time to learn how to use the Internet as a tool, as a friend, and as an asset to your job search.

How Your Online Presence Can HELP You

It is trite, in this day and age, to discuss the importance of good LinkedIn profile. It is your calling card. It is your annotated resume and with built in references. It is you phone book ad. To borrow from the literary world: An MLS listing is to a house; as a LinkedIn profile is to a job candidate. Don’t forget your Google+ profile, and other legal databases. This is the first stop that employers and eventually, future clients, will go to in order to quickly assess your credentials and legal reputation. Do not underestimate the power of a professional online presence on potential employers and clients.

Actual and Constructive Activity

Further, use these social media platforms to network. Reach out and link up to old classmates, prior colleagues, recent acquaintances and new business contacts. Ensure to post regularly, update your profile accordingly, and engage in conversations. It is important to actually be active in your networking efforts, but it is just as important to appear so. Optics are half the game when it comes to the elusive job search. So, be sure to present yourself in the best light possible by using professional profiles such as Google+ and LinkedIn to your full advantage.