Lies Job Searchers Believe About an Online Presence -The Muse

Lies Job Searchers Believe About an Online Presence -The MuseLies Job Searchers Believe About an Online Presence When youre job searching, you no doubt have so many things on your to-do list (update your resume, tailor your cover letters, make sure you have the right interview outfit), that you may be tempted to skim over an important factor your online presence.Maybe you think that youre all set- your old college photos have been deleted from Facebook and your LinkedIn profile is current. Or, perhaps you havent bothered to develop much of an online persona at all, so you think youve got nothing to worry about. Regardless of how your digital self can be characterized, you cant underestimate the importance of it. The nature of todays job search and recruiters tendency to take a deep look at a candidates online presence means that you have to be extra careful about whats out there- and whats not. The lies youre telling yourself can actually mean the difference between a job offer and a rejection letter (and nobody wants that).1. I Wont Be Judged By What I Have (or Dont Have) OnlineWeve all been told over and over to be mindful of what we put on Facebook. But, if you take that advice at face value, youre missing out on huge portion of your online presence. When you Google yourself (most hiring managers will do just this), make note of which other sites link to your name. Maybe youve got an outdated (possibly embarrassing) Reddit profile or Pinterest page thats you rather not have a future employer see. Nows the time to do a thorough review of everything out there tied to your name. While you cant delete everything from Google search like an online newspaper story that mentions your name, or a profile on an old site that wont let you delete your account, you can at least be aware of anything you may need to acknowledge or explain to your interviewer like that controversial article youre quoted in, or the traffic misdemeanor from nine years ago that still shows up.R ead More Hiring Managers Will Google You- Heres What You Can Do Now if the Results Arent Good2. I Only Need a Portfolio or Personal Website for a Creative CareerIts true that almost every creative position (like designer, developer, creative director, writer) requires a portfolio of sorts, but, you shouldnt rule out the usefulness of having your own personal website even if youre not looking for a creative job. It comes in handy when applying to almost any position Youll look tech-savvy, professional, and it may even help bump your resume to the top of the pile. And, it doesnt have to be anything fancy it can literally have just one page.Read More How to Build a Resume Website That Will Impress Every Hiring Manager Who Sees ItFEEL READY TO GET YOUR FACE IN FRONT OF A HIRING MANAGER?Step one is finding an awesome job opening (or two, or three, or 10,000)Check out 10,000+ Openings Now 3. Its Too Late to StartMaybe your prior profession didnt require (or even encourage) social media pa rticipation. And now youre looking to transition to a job in a different field. Lets say the rules for this career path are completely different from your last, and an online presence is highly encouraged, and pretty much expected, of all applicants- and you dont have one Dont let your lack of a Twitter following, or even the absence of a LinkedIn profile discourage you from getting on board at last. Its really never too late to build a personal brand and showcase yourself and your accomplishments online. Youll have to clear some space on your schedule to dive in, but after a few hours of completing the anfangsbuchstabe setup and learning your way around the different platforms, 15 minutes a day or so is plenty to keep you current. Although you may not have the same knowledge as some of your competition who have been using these tools for years, at least youll show that youre aware of whats a normal web presence for the career youre transitioning to, and youre making progress to get there. Read More How to Quickly Look Like Youve Been Using Social Media ForeverWhether youre a social-media guru or a relatively new user, its always worth sifting through what information you have out on the web- especially when youre on the hunt for a new job. Itll help you be confident that your in-person and your online personas align to how you want to present yourself to the world (and especially, your interviewer), and it just might help you on your way to that dream job.Photo of person on social media courtesy of Henrik Sorensen/Getty Images.