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BYDN College Content Series: Polish Your Online Profile

By October 29, 2019No Comments
J. Kelly Hoey - Build Your Dream Network

In this second post in the series, let’s tackle online networking as your reputation does precede you in the digital age. Rather than bemoaning or ignoring this fact, take control of your online profile. By doing so, you take control of your career.

Wondering where to start? Start by doing what everyone does: Google your name. Who shows up? Are you competing with others with the same name? If so, how can you separate yourself from the pack? Does your profile from your last job appear? Or is the first thing your classmates, career services and potential employers discover is a half-complete LinkedIn profile? 

LinkedIn is your most important professional network. This is not to say you won’t make professional connections on other platforms – rather, it is stressing that LinkedIn is the network we turn to first to verify credentials and check expertise. Good news is that profile creation is under your control. And more good news: LinkedIn has a high page search ranking on Google and other search engines, which means, the hard work you put into creating a strong profile (aka your online resume) pays off in discoverability. 

My top 3 LinkedIn tips for you for networking on the platform are:

  1. Complete your profile and make sure it aligns with your resume. As one recruiter notes at page 159 in Build Your Dream Network: A big red flag is a LinkedIn profile that doesn’t match a corporate online bio or the CV that is attached to a potential candidate’s e-mail.
  2. Get a professional headshot. We connect with other people – so show the world who you really are. 
  3. Leverage the power of LinkedIn to learn about potential employers. Follow the firms, government agencies, not-for-profits, NGOs and other entities on LinkedIn by searching for their business pages. Once you follow a business page, you’ll be notified of updates, posts as well as gain insights on who in your network works at or is connected in to the organization. 

For more of my LinkedIn insights, check out: 

J. Kelly Hoey

J. Kelly Hoey is a problem solver who believes that most professional challenges—whether funding, landing a board position or getting a new job—are solved by tapping into networks.Kelly is a popular speaker on networking, community building and investing issues, especially as they relate to women, and has worked with the IEEE, PGA, Bank of America, Apple and countless others. Follow Kelly on Twitter @jkhoey and on Instagram @jkellyhoey and join the #BYDN community at www.buildyourdreamnetwork.com