Create an Online Presense
I was reading the Vancouver Sun the other day and came across an article on online job hunting. What caught my eye was a to-do list for managing your online identity – here is an excerpt from the article:
Early and Often is the Rule for Online Job Search
THE TO-DO LIST
- Use professional networking sites, starting with linkedin.com or plaxo.com.
- Check out sites like vancouversun.com/jobs for listings, ideas and links in your community.
- Check your info at zoominfo.com, claim it and update it.
- Subscribe to e-mail lists and e-newsletters through blogger association, professional association, company or university alumni groups.
- Consider expanding your Web presence with a blog: wordpress.com, blogspot.com, or one of the other options. Many are free.
- Set up Google alerts with your name to keep track of what is on the Web about you, from blogs to news and other mentions.
- Use blogpulse.com and other tracking tools such as ones specific to various sites that will keep you posted on such activities as when someone forwards your bio.
- ‘Claim’ your blog on such indexing sites as Technorati.com.
- Open a Google account, and among other functions use it to aggregate information from RSS feeds to keep track of areas of interest you are following.
- Use Google docs and spreadsheets for free and Web office doc functions; Gmail gives you a Web-based e-mail account.
- Jott.com — toll-free number, leave messages and reminders that are sent via voicemail and e-mail. A paid service starts at $3.95 US/month or pay-as-you-go. Turns your voice message into text and sends it wherever you want it to go, whether it’s a reminder for yourself or a message to the entire soccer team.
- meetingwizard.com, to coordinate meeting dates and times, free, works with up to 50 participants.
- Social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter for micro-blogging. Flickr and YouTube if you’re a photographer or videographer.
- Add your LinkedIn profile to your e-mail signature
- Sign onto krunchd.com to keep track of your online profiles, website, blog and social networking sites
Sources: Hamer-associates.ca, and Robert Half International