networking for work: the benefits of an online profile
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Networking for Work: http://networkingforwork.org.uk
The benefits of an online profile
Why create any sort of online profile for yourself?
- Tell people what YOU want to be known about you.
- To socialise, stay in touch with friends and family.
- To build a useful online network of contacts.
- To become more widely known for what you can do. “He's a great baker...”
Shout about yourself – people can't know about you until you tell them! Market yourself. The more people who know about your skills and know that you want to work, the more likely you are to get a job. [Photo by Claumoho]
Show yourself in the best lightYour online profiles are spaces you control – use them to tell people what you want to be known for.
Socialise with as many people as possible, tell people what you are up to and increase potential for opportunities. Because it's nice to keep in touch, many heads are often better than one and you never know who might know what!
Talk about yourself online in an appropriate way: you are showing off your web skills and demonstrating that you can use the internet well.
Volunteering Nuneaton and B31 Voices on Facebook.
Newcastle Bookbinders
You can also demonstrate a particular trade/skill you are focusing on – also shows you can write.
BAKE – Facebook page for two cake bakers trading from home.Birmingham Hula Hoopers group created by freelance fitness instructor.
You can use a Facebook page or group to demonstrate your skills amongst your personal networks.
Things to think about with an online profileJust as with crossing the road, there are some risks to posting online. It's how you manage that risk that's important.
[Photo by Massimiliano]
Do you want a potential employer to read that?What you say online is more permanent than what you say down the pub.
[Photo by Garrett Coakley]
Check your account settings on personal profilesLook at your profiles whilst logged out or view them as a 'non-friend' would see them. Tighten the privacy settings to restrict access if you want to.
[Photo by Ell Brown]
Are you being tagged in photos?Or are friends writing on your Facebook wall or elsewhere online? Untag/delete content if you can, request others to alter/delete content about you that you're unhappy with.
[Photo by Davi Ozolin]
What's your current online profile?
- Try doing a Google search for yourself. What comes up? What might a potential employer think of the content?
- Do you have a Facebook profile? Go to your profile and click 'View as...' to see what the public can view about you. - Use the resources at networkingforwork.org.uk to help you market yourself effectively online, build useful networks and protect yourself from employers' inappropriate online searching for your information.
