5 Simple Steps to Managing a Better Online Profile
Have you Googled yourself recently?
Whether you are looking for a new role in the public or third sector or would like to establish yourself as a professional and build your reputation, your online profile is significant.
So, if you want to climb the career ladder or establish your credentials as a knowledgeable sector individual, it's vital that you maintain and manage an excellent online profile.
In today's post, I will share a few, easy to implement steps; you can take to maximise your visibility online.
Seeking a New Role?
Firstly, let's look at managing your online profile when you are looking for a new role.
It’s critical to make sure that you’ve not only polished up your CV and written an engaging cover letter to send with your application, or that you have your answers to the most likely interview questions ready and glowing references lined up; in today's job market you also need to consider your online presence.
As a specialist recruiter in the public sector, we see many candidates who have spent a great deal of time searching, applying and preparing for interviews, yet they haven’t given any thought to their online presence.
In today's fast-moving and competitive marketplace, employers have a plethora of information to hand about potential employees; thanks to the internet. It is almost inevitable that an employer will Google your details online and check out the results as they consider your application.
So, for those of you looking for your next role or those wishing to demonstrate their sector expertise, polishing up your online profile will set you ahead of the competition and help your professionalism stand out.
Simple Steps to A Professional Profile
Hoping to land that perfect Finance Business Partner role, or want to grow your sector presence with colleagues?
To ensure your profile shows the characteristics and professional ability you want to convey to the world, start first by checking out what the internet says about you.
1. Google Yourself
Search for your name on Google and Google Images. You can set up a Google alert for your name that will enable you to keep track of any new content that comes online. Tip: it’s a good idea to choose an option for how often you receive this information to suit your working style and to prevent overwhelming your inbox.
Wherever your details appear online, check the current information is up to date. Have you included recent achievements, awards or promotions?
2. Check Your Images
Image searches on Google are gaining popularity, so be sure that any pictures you post online are ones you would be happy for any would-be employers or colleagues to access.
While that photo of yourself at a friend’s stag party or the recent girls weekend away may have seemed entertaining at the time, do you really want a potential employer or your senior manager to see it?
If you want to hold onto your weekend away memories, you could consider setting up a second professional online profile, and I'll talk about that later in this article.
A final note on images: consider optimising photos with your name; you can do this by including your name in the image caption, ‘alt text’ tag and even in the image file name. By doing this, you will maximise the ranking for image searches made in your name.
3. Increase Your Networks
You don’t have to be continually active on all the sites you join online but do make sure you fill out your profile on each – you never know where employers or colleagues may find you!
The major sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are well known of course but don’t forget YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram too.
Aim to post content at least once a month. It doesn't have to be a long article; it could be your reaction to a report, a comment about why something is of interest to you, or a like and share. And don’t forget to like your posts too to help promote them.
For job seekers, LinkedIn is possibly the most critical platform. Even with the strict processes for recruitment within the public and third sector, individuals within organisations will still use LinkedIn to learn more about a candidate’s personality, commitment to the sector and more.
To make the most of your LinkedIn profile, there are some key points to remember:
Use your full name in your profile and headline to maximise searches.
Ensure your profile ‘flows’ well: a specialist recruiter can help you with this.
Use keywords that describe what you currently do. For example, if you’re a Director of Finance or want a new role in that field, put the keyword phrase prominently in your LinkedIn headline, summary, skills and in previous job titles or experience.
Include your personal profile.
Invite colleagues and associates to endorse your skills.
Use the ‘Open Candidate’ feature to let recruiters and employers know if you are looking for a new role.
4. Optimise Your Presence
In addition to social media platforms, to leverage your online presence, you may consider creating a website or blog page that focuses on your knowledge, experience and professional interests to gain traction as a public or third sector authority.
You can link this to your social media accounts and other online information. Search engines are likely to give this type of content a high ranking, making it even easier for people to find you online.
There are many easy to use content management systems available, including WordPress which can help you build your own website, and Blogger which, as the name suggests, is a useful tool for creating and publishing online articles. Additionally, these examples are owned by Google and therefore rank highly in their search results.
5. Keep Private Posts Private
As I mentioned earlier, it's wise to ensure information about you online is appropriate.
Putting privacy settings on the content you want to share with friends and family only is a good start. Also, you can remove the “tag” that identifies an image as you from other pictures, and don’t be afraid of asking others to remove any photos of you that you believe may compromise your professionalism.
However, you often have little control over what other people may publish.
One way to solve this potential problem is to have two online profiles, especially for sites such as Facebook: one for your personal information with maximum security settings, and a second for professional use only and focuses on your public or third sector career, work history and current position, skills, expertise and educational details.
What Next?
Whether job seeking or growing your authority position, your internet presence can help confirm your credentials to employers and establish your professional reputation in your current role.
Developing your professional influence online will enable you to become more self-aware and knowledgeable, as well as signalling your position as a ‘go-to’ person for specialist advice in your sector.
Additionally, establishing your strengths and capabilities will enable you to stand out from others in your field, earning the trust of colleagues and other professionals in the public or third sector.
And when the time comes to look for a new role, you will be in the perfect position to achieve your career aspirations.
Westwood Harris Burns are specialists in Executive Search and Senior Finance appointments within the Public Sector; with particular expertise in NHS, Housing and Charity Sectors. With over 60 years combined experience, we have extensive knowledge of the market, proven track records and established networks, allowing us to provide a wide range of services to both clients and candidates alike.
To learn more about how we can support you to either build your team or career, visit our Get In Touch page.
