The world is changing at breakneck speed. If you have not noticed, now is the time to open your eyes to the blazing changes going on all around you. Most of us are walking around with more memory in our pockets today than was used to put the first man on the moon. While you may feel stuck in the same place, it is even more likely that you have actually been going backwards.
To keep up you have to invest in continual learning. Want to find that perfect job? After finding out how God made you, you have to invest in a number of tactics to land that dream career. Gone are the days when you can answer a newspaper ad or ask a friend.
Firstly, if you do not own the number one spot on google when you search your name, you have to do something about it. Nearly every employer does a background check on you. If you sleazy MySpace page comes to the top, you must do something about it.
Purchase the domain name for your name and set up a free website. You will pay a few bucks per year but you have the final say as to what employers and other think about you.
Another free option is to set up a LinkedIn account. Last night I was able to connect with hundreds of the best minds in Raleigh, NC because of LinkedIn. Establish your profile and keep others in touch with what you are doing on a regular basis.
Facebook is a popular application for fun as well as business. Create your profile, link to your website and blog and present something that prospective employers and those wishing to do business with you see as pleasing and worth while. A buying decision, and deciding to hire you for a position is a buying decision, comes down to an emotional and personal connection. I would hire a qualified friend before someone else that is qualified and yet unknown to me.
A blog will keep you in the forefront of your customer’s minds (top-of-mind positioning) if you are in business. An updated blog will also help you stay at the top of the search engines. Did I mention this option is also free?
Twitter is an application for a new generation. Use it to stay in front of your prime audience. If you have an interesting life or do something that your crowd wants to follow, use twitter to stay up-to-date.
If all of this is overwhelming, I agree. It can be very overwhelming, but the decision is not up to you. It is up to your clients and prospective employers. Even if you do not plan to need any of these services in place for a long time, begin now. The longer you have a website in place, the higher it will show in search listings.
Here is the thing with any of these options. If you are going to use them, you must use them well. Keep your profile updated. Your blog should not have a most recent entry of December, 2007.
Do it well or not at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment