Social Media -The New Cocktail Party
Leveraging Social Networking Tools for $100K+ Executives Job Search
An Article by Maureen McCann, BA, MCRS, MCIS, MCCS
Senior Career Consultant & Strategist, Graham Management Group
Executive recruiters, human resources professionals, and business
leaders are using social networking sites to engage and interact with
wider, more diverse audiences. As a six-figure executive, you need to
stay ahead of your competition. To maintain a leadership position, you
must think strategically and leverage as many opportunities as
possible.
These days, the Internet impacts almost every facet of modern life.
It is the first place people go for information and communication. When
it comes to online profiles, social media, and the Internet, are you
leading, following, or even in the race?
If the idea of creating an online networking presence is foreign to
you, you are not alone. Here’s one way to view social media: think of
it as a cocktail party. There are many different people in attendance –
each for their own reason. You could bump into someone you know or
someone you want to be introduced to. Or, you could meet someone new
who you had no idea existed.
Much like a cocktail party, there are a few things you must do to
get yourself ready for social networking. Begin with an online profile.
The creation of an online profile demonstrates your commitment to
innovation and leadership – you will not be left in the dark like many
executives who are ignoring this trend in technology.
Check your Presence.
Your first impression says a lot about you. Before you start
engaging people in conversations online, take a look at your online
presence to be sure you are portraying yourself well. The best way to
do this is to “Google” yourself. Simply type your name into a search
engine and see what comes up. The content should be of the highest
quality. If it is not, then it is time to control your online
reputation by creating and managing your online profile(s).
Perfect your Appearance.
When presenting yourself online, you want to ensure you have an
excellent reputation. If you are creating your first online profile,
take a moment to look at other professionals’ profiles. This will give
you an idea of what you like and what you do not. Next, do a little
research on your own about the message you are about to craft. What are
your most recent accomplishments, your executive career milestones,
associations you belong to, awards and accolades you have received –
have these items, along with your professional biography, handy when
creating or updating your profile.
Get on the Right Guest List.
It would be unhealthy to be on every social networking platform out
there – you would spread the quality of your message too thinly. Before
signing up for any online network, do a little bit of research to save
you from wasting your time with networks that will not work for you.
When you find a site you like, investigate whether or not the key
players in your industry are there. Search the site for elite members
of your industry, mentors, up and comers, and your competitors. If you
find these people on a particular networking site – it is worth your
time to set up a profile and engage in conversations amongst your
peers.
The most popular business-networking site by far is the social
network called LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great place to start creating
your online presence and connect with professionals. It is a
user-friendly site that is easily navigated. Creating a profile here is
simple; it should take you less than one hour. First, you need to
create an account. Next, you fill in a form identifying your
professional information. A few clicks of the mouse later and you have
your online profile. The challenge with this site, and many others, is
that you must have your information ready. Much like preparing a
template resume, you are given the space to provide your information –
but it is the information you provide that is the key. LinkedIn offers
so many features for users that a plethora of books have been
written about it. Suffice it to say – it is a popular site, well
respected within the business community, and a great place to get
started with your online profile.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Facebook here. It does, after
all, have more than “175 million active users who have returned to the
site in the last 30 days”. While there are a number of businesses who
leverage the volume of connections via this online tool, it is my
opinion that this is more a place to connect with family and friends –
college buddies etc. It is not the most effective place to present your
executive profile online and engage executive recruiters.
You do not have to be an online guru to understand twitter, but it
helps. Today Twitter is the most popular social media tool outranking
Myspace, Facebook and LinkedIn. It is a tool that allows users to
send succinct 140 character messages to one another; pointing each
other to blogs, audio clips, and other published materials that may be
useful. Its purpose is to draw the reader to your online profile and to
promote yourself as a subject matter expert. Not convinced about
Twitter? It also has an Exec Tweet program “a resource to help you find
and follow the top business executives.” – Some of the big names on
Twitter – The two cola giants: Pepsi and Coke, Microsoft, Forrester
Research, Kodak, Sun Microsystems, Johnson & Johnson, a number of
high quality post secondary institutions, and many, many more.
(http://www.exectweets.com/) In addition to posting messages on
Twitter, also known as “tweets”, it has tremendous job search
capabilities. Again, the capabilities of Twitter are too vast to go
into any great detail here. To give you an idea of ways to use Twitter,
begin by following recruiters, human resources professionals, as well
as leaders in your industry. Consider posting messages that make you
the subject matter expert in your particular industry.
Visual CV is a place where you can upgrade your online presence and
promote yourself with a highly marketable portfolio of your work. To
get started, the process is quite simple. Step one: create an account
and update your profile information; step two, build your online
portfolio. Again, there are many additional features. The site boasts a
very helpful learning centre with video tutorials that are easy to
understand. One could easily spend an entire day uploading portfolios,
pictures, logos, and samples of work. It is best to spend your time
preparing items in advance, creating your brand, and developing your
resume portfolio before logging into the site to create your own
profile.
Be Gracious to Everyone.
Social media has come a long way. Once a playground reserved for big
technology companies; it has now transformed into something very
personal that is easy to set up, engage, and grow your network.
If you want to promote your profile – go out of your way to
introduce yourself, write testimonials for professionals you know, and
most importantly, tell others how they can help you find what you seek.
Before joining any online network, be sure to evaluate your online
profile, and know who you want to connect with – then share your strong
value proposition and have fun with it. More than ever before, social
networks are creating connections to people around the globe, creating
strategic partnerships and alliances that are changing the face of
business, and the business of job search. Engage your network by
leveraging social networking sites into powerful personal connections
within your industry and across the globe.
Maureen McCann is an award winning, inspiring, and resourceful
master certified resume strategist and career consultant, and senior
advisor for Career Professionals of Canada. As senior Consultant for
Graham Management Group, Maureen assists executives, managers, and
six-figure professionals through the full scope of career transition.
You can contact Maureen and find further information and articles
directly at www.GrahamManagement.com.
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