You need to know how to build your personal brand online (and offline) before you enter the workforce. Your personal brand will be essential in earning the job you want.
Because of this, you need to have a clean and professional online profile. Keep a separate personal account and set it on Private if you don’t want other people to view it.
If you have a good reputation, you can ask your trusted friends to say something about you. You can use these words and concepts in your status updates, LinkedIn profile, resume and online conversations.
Here are some tips to help you boost your online presence:
Google Yourself
Search your name using Google. Most people will look at the results on the first page, so pay special attention to the results you find there. (Go beyond the first page if you have concerns.)
What do you see on the first results page? Does it have the best information about you? Study the first ten results and look for anything negative. If you see something, take the necessary steps to remove it. After some time has passed, do another search and check for lingering problems.
Use Alerts
You can easily set alerts using Google. Just go to google.com/alerts and type your name inside quotes. This will signal Google to search for those words, and you will receive an alert every time your name is mentioned online.
Set Up a Blog
Buy a domain using your name — It’s an easy way to stand out online. Domains are usually inexpensive. You can usually set up one for less than $20 a year, and build and establish a website for not much more than that if you shop around.
Write Quality Content
Posting good content online is one of the best career-building strategies to help you get the online presence you need. Make sure to write something related to your expertise in order to wow employers.
Boosting your online presence is not difficult, but it takes time and effort. Consider the tips listed above to help you build your network, meet new people and open new opportunities to success.