It’s a hard reality that the wrong Web presence can sink a job seeker. But the right one can go a long way to help, especially now that recruiters are increasingly trolling the Web for candidates.
READ MORE: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ONLINE REP
“It’s such a critical piece in job searching and career management,” says career consultant Ellen Sautter, co-author with Diane Crompton of “Find a Job Through Social Networking.”
To that end, experts offer these tips.
* Get in the game: If you’re a stranger to social networks, it’s time to get with the program. And you should start with LinkedIn, says Sautter, calling it “far and away the most important” place to build a presence.
Consider buying your own domain name, says Max Drucker of Social Intelligence. And seek out industry blogs and other forums where you can build a rep by commenting and sharing info.
* Tweet: Career coaches have long touted blogging as a way to brand yourself online, but many are now turning to Twitter. “It’s so easy to send out bursts of information, and people can find you easier than they would through a blog,” says Crompton.
Kathy Greenler Sexton of ZoomInfo is unequivocal: “You need to be tweeting,” she says. She notes that when she made an effort a few years back to step up her tweeting and otherwise bolster her online presence, recruiters began calling — leading to her present job.
* Mind your language: Be mindful of what words and phrases a recruiter who’d be interested in you might look for — and use them.
“Key words are everything,” says Sautter. To get a line on them, “look at jobs you’re interested in and see how companies describe them.”
* Manage your content: Your Web profile isn’t a seed you plant that yields fruit as you snooze.
“You have to make sure your profiles are constantly updated,” says Sexton.
Be sure to add new certifications and credentials, says Crompton. And if you’re seeking a particular job, tweak your content accordingly, says Andy Beal of Trackur.com:
“Update your profiles just like you tweak your resume to appeal to a particular employer.”
* Make yourself findable: Share your e-mail address and cellphone number on your LinkedIn profile, so recruiters can reach you easily, says Sautter.