IF YOU’VE got access to your favourite sites at work ask yourself: ‘When I get into work in the morning am I most likely to a) get straight on with the daily grind or b) take a quick look at my online profile?’
If the answer is b then don’t worry, you’re not alone. From Myspace to Twitter and on to Facebook, it seems we are obsessed with having an online presence.
While our employers may not be so happy about the work hours lost to social networking, there is a way we can combine our favourite online pastime with building successful careers.
Cristina Hoole, European marketing director for social networking site LinkedIn, said: “People are starting to realise you exist online whether you like it or not. Whether you’re on a social network or friends who have blogs have talked about you, it’s likely you already have an online presence even if you’re not aware of it.
“With this in mind, it’s important to realise you can manage it. You want to be sure that if you’re looking for another job, or even if you just want to network with colleagues or clients, that you have a professional presence online.
“Being online is a good thing, the more you put yourself out there the bigger the opportunities you have.”
So, if we want to make our profiles something which we don’t have to hide when the boss walks by what should we do?
Follow our top tips to productive and stress-free social networking.
KEEP YOUR PRIVATE LIFE PRIVATE
OK, so you had a great night out on Saturday and your best mate has happily uploaded the photo evidence on to a website but exactly who is looking at how many glasses of white wine you consumed? You need to think about how your profile looks, and who can access it.
All social networking sites should have privacy settings which will not only restrict outside users viewing your information. For example someone who is just taking a look on a search engine, but also friends and colleagues.
Take Facebook’s advice and use its profile privacy settings to control who can see your profile.
Ms Hoole said: “Make a good impression on contacts by understanding the settings and projecting an appropriate image. Start by determining who can view your profile by selecting access for networks, friends of friends, or just friends.
“From there, determine what those people can and cannot see on your profile, such as status updates, tagged photos, personal information, friends, and wall posts.”
KEEP YOUR PROFILE UP TO DATE
If you’re looking for a new job or just want to show your colleagues and your employers that you’re an integral member of the team then keep people updated with your ability and make your profile work for you.
Ms Hoole added: “Your profile is your chance to showcase your skills and talents, and help the right people and opportunities find their way to you. As your professional representation online, you can set it to be discoverable through the millions of searches on leading search engines and on LinkedIn.
“Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.”
DO YOUR RESEARCH
It’s not just our own profiles we need to focus on but also those of people who we’re networking with.
If you’re looking to impress clients or organisations then showing you are internet savvy and interested in what they have to say will help.
We’re not talking about requesting the friendship of an individual client so you can poke them, but just take a look to see if their business has an online social network account.
Do they send twitter updates about their news and the services they offer? If so, get in contact and build an online relationship with them. They’ll be impressed that you’re taking an interest in their organisation.
THINK OF IT AS YOUR BUSINESS
“We are all mini entrepreneurs in our own way now and the view we have of our career today is similar to that of managing a business,” Ms Hoole said.
“It’s less common now for people to stay with the same company for 25 years.
“You go to a company and pick up the skills you need to enhance your career and then you move on. You make the experience enjoyable but also something that feeds your life.
“I think the more you’re open to opportunities online, the better the things that will come your way. That’s the beauty of opening yourself up to having an online business profile, the more you put into your ‘business’ the more opportunities you’ll have.”
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