Transform Your Online Presence into a Career Boosting Asset!

One of the first things graduates are told when they head into the world of work is that they need to audit and clear their digital footprints.

In 2019, a young woman was rejected from a marketing internship because the company found bikini photos on her Instagram account. Even if the idea of ​​you posting photos of yourself in a bathing suit on social media sounds about as likely as being elected the next president, many professionals internalize the idea that any kind of fingerprint can only be a bad thing.

While there are undoubtedly privacy concerns, particularly for mature professionals who didn’t grow up with social media, a strong fingerprint can be an important tool in your arsenal when looking for a job. This is why you should stop thinking of your online self as something to hide and start thinking of it as an opportunity to promote yourself.

Related: Personal branding: the key to success in the digital age

You are the product, so market yourself

Ultimately, the relationship between a recruiting company and a job applicant is transactional. They are hiring you for what you can do for them (job responsibilities), and you want them to hire you for what they can do for you (pay you). There may be some other reasons mixed in, but you get the gist.

And what do you do before buying a product? If it’s a major purchase, you should probably do some research. The same applies to hiring managers. Around 77% of employers Go to Google when considering a candidate. If you’ve already worked your way up the corporate ladder as a director, vice president, or executive, you’re probably well aware of this fact and have made sure to hide the party photos of him in college from your Facebook profile.

But there’s more to your digital footprint than hiding the bad stuff.

Getting back to comparing businesses and products, online research for a potential purchase isn’t always about avoiding red flags. Sure, employers can keep an eye out for negative reviews, but more often than not, management is hoping to find something positive and informative.

Think about how organizations investigate other companies they buy items from to make sure they aren’t scams. They might be looking for a product demo on YouTube or a blog article explaining everything about the product. There’s no reason you can’t do the same with your own online presence.

Using the tools of a business

Now that you’ve started thinking like a business, it’s time to put it into action by using the same digital channels and tools as businesses for your own marketing efforts.

Concepts like SEO and digital marketing aren’t just for businesses – use them to stand out in the job market. If a recruiter searches your name on Google and finds your blog focused on marketing or career development, it looks much better than some private social media profiles.

You can also use SEO and marketing to make your profile more visible on LinkedIn to people who weren’t initially looking for you. Destination attractive content It could mean that decision makers at companies will find your profile, and using the right keywords in your profile summary will help recruiters find you.

Related: How AI is changing the future of personal branding

You can’t please everyone

If your digital presence is nothing more than a corporate photo and a summary of your resume and accolades in neutral language, no one is going to dislike what they see so much that they rule out the possibility of hiring you. But it’s also unlikely that you’ll be hired based solely on this kind of basic information.

Companies know this and that is why they target their product at a specific market segment. You can do the same. You don’t have to attract every potential employer, just the ones you want to work for.

For example, if you make a blog post taking down companies that carry out environmentally unsustainable practices, you may be unpopular with the companies you criticize. But if you want to work for a company that is a leader in this space, they might appreciate being upfront.

However, if you want to toe the line and stay neutral, that’s fine too. It’s natural to be cautious about what you post online, especially if you’re worried about saying something inappropriate. A great way to assuage this fear is to focus on creating content that empowers others or helps advance their careers. It’s best to avoid posts that could make others look bad or damage your company’s reputation.

a quick warning

As with anything, there are some nuances here. Although a fingerprint can be a useful tool, you still need to consider your security when posting online. review your privacy settings on social media so that people can’t see sensitive information like your date of birth or photos of your children, and try to avoid including too much personal information in any content you post.

It’s also not a good idea to start swearing or posting something offensive. But you already knew that, right?

Finally, if there’s something you don’t like about yourself online, submit a personal information removal request form to Google to have it removed.

Related: Why personal branding is important to all working adults

It’s time to expose yourself

Since most job seekers in the market are focused on creating a clean digital footprint and minimizing their online presence, going in the opposite direction can be a fantastic way to start. As long as you protect your safety, stay positive, and give your content some thought, you should be good to go.