Online Professional Persona 101

Last night, I went to a fantastic AWNY event lead by a wonderful, intelligent and informative recruiter Regina Angeles,  that was about building your professional reputation online in addition to networking and professional development. It's obviously always good to network even when you have a job. Gone are the days where if one was loyal to a corporation, the corporation would reward them. I constantly see people working incredibly long hours with no real reward in sight who often burn out and quit. Then there are others who achieve the same amount of prestige, salary and position while working perfectly reasonable hours. And they're usually the men! So as Regina recommends, it's important to expand your connections beyond your company and even specific job title. Learn about what others do, what other company cultures are like, etc. etc. She even suggests going to a networking event once a week. Eesh.

So... for those of you who asked me "Molly, how does one network?" here's what Regina suggests. I believe she's going to post her official presentation so check back on her blog or follow her on Twitter.

The basics: Make sure your Facebook profile is work friendly. No obviously inappropriate photos. If you have drunken, idiotic friends, block tagged photos from the public.

LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. As Regina says, if you don't have a LinkedIn profile, you either don't exist or are doing something illegal. Recent statistics reveal that 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to source new candidates. So highlight and quantify your accomplishments but don't lie! You'll get called out in a New York Minute. Start with your friends, colleagues, former colleagues, college classmates, etc. and build your network from there but don't forget to use the same social graces you would if networking in person. Be polite and don't add people you have no real connection to. I get requests from photographers and photo agencies I've never met, all the time and it's just annoying. And by all means, look for jobs using LinkedIn. Spend minimal time responding to craigslist, monster, etc.

And Twitter. Twitter is a great way to connect with people you've never met. Follow companies you want to work for. For clients, future clients, brands you're interested in working with, etc. Post links to your blog if you have one. Create informative posts about your industry and have an opinion. Develop a short elevator pitch for your online profiles using key words especially if you have a common name.

More advice to come. Happy Friday!