What is the best way to use social networking to find your next career opportunity? If you answered, "to develop new contacts and promote my reputation" so I can be discovered online via a search and then invited to participate in exciting projects, you are correct! Having a profile and a rolodex on Linked In is just the beginning. What you need are trusting relationships to generate new job leads by attracting positive attention. Social media shows what you do, how you think, and who you know and knows you. It provides a non-stop, up-to-date resume demonstrating your skills and abilities. It is the new streaming resume, a dynamic ever changing, growing C.V. LinkedIn, Facebook. Twitter, the blogosphere, discussion within groups, comment areas and other social media platforms are a virtual networking event that goes on 24/7/365 across time zones and geographic boundaries. Do not restrict your connections to only in person, email or telephone relationships. Expand your visibility beyond where you are able to travel and how much time you have to devote to attending events. Instead, use social media to reach everyone and anyone that needs to know you. You chose who you want to meet by who needs to know you and can open doors for you. Make contact vis social media, drawing their interest to you through publishing your ideas and work online. Once you connect, follow up politely and persistently. Build stronger relationships and cultivate more targeted interest that will generate leads to new challenges, personal and professional mentoring, more referrals and access to inside information to put you on the fast track ahead of your competition. Focus your social networking efforts as you would any targeted campaign designed to increase your visibility and establish specific contacts. Publish where your expertise will be appreciated. Participate in groups (after vetting the membership) where you can demonstrate your leadership. Present information that shows your command of the subject matter. Be a connector; introduce individuals that share common interests. Just be an outstanding networker in a virtual world you define based on LI and groups, LI answers, blogging, Twitter conversations and follows, Facebook events, book reviews, posting your profile to be more searchable, etc.

1. Debra Feldman, JobWhiz DebraFeldman@JobWhiz.com
www.jobwhiz.com – Perpetual Reputation Blog 203-637-3500
Reputation 3.0
For entrepreneurs and executives your work IS your resume online, visible and accessible. Use social
networking to cultivate more new opportunities and increase your influence.
The explosion of social networking means that an official submission may be the last bit of
information anyone searching for you online reads to learn who you are and what you do. A static
website alone is not sufficient to demonstrate all you want people to appreciate. A dynamic online
representation or webinality delivers a timely, competitive advantage. If you don’t shape your
online presence, you may be losing out to less qualified but more web 2.0 savvy competitors!. A
continuously growing, changing web presence not only accelerates your availability to a new
market, but also increases your credibility among those who know you.
Because it is impossible to control results that entering “your name” yields or the order in which
this data appears, it’s necessary to intentionally create social networking content that fits the
image you want to project. In addition to an online resume, about page, website or blog, regular
participation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and in the blogosphere is the best way to
shape the virtual personality you want others to see and know.
Online personas or digital footprints are rapidly becoming the most influential resume content in
today’s job market. Even before you say hello one-on-one via phone or email, strangers may
surmise who you are and your value to them based on what they find online. If you want to
maintain your real-life reputation, then you have to shape your virtual persona by purposefully
participating in social networking. Your online presence must continually demonstrate your
unique expertise and potential value just as you once crafted that perfect resume to sell yourself.
Your social networking strategy should focus on distinguishing you as the first choice, go-to
expert with impeccable integrity, skills, interests, credentials, experience and relationships. You
must represent yourself as someone who makes money, reduces costs or improves process.
Social networking is the show-me-don’t-tell-me platform. If you are not there, you do not exist.
Today, your work IS your resume. Tweet it, post success stories, answer questions, and
participate in virtual conversations. In other words, the absolutely finest, most carefully crafted
static resume is less impressive (and less credible) than non-stop, top-quality, multi-channel
demonstrations of what you do and how you achieve results and solve problems. Online
endorsements, recommendations and comments about your talent, character and collaborative
relationships promote you and differentiate you. Combined with customized presentations,
articles, white papers, etc., your social networking record of accomplishments constructs a
compelling picture of your professional qualifications and preparation for a specific challenge.
Your social media footprint is a credential supplementing your training and background
Good news! You no longer need to rely on a one-time resume to attract attention, establish
credibility and promise your potential. You have a better chance over time to remove concerns
and eliminate doubts via your ongoing social media presence. You might even go viral and be
evaluated as a potential resource without ever knowing it—the ultimate passive candidate!
RECOMMENDED SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
 Evaluate current social networking status
 Create focused social media bio & profiles
 Join Linked In groups, create Twitter lists and identify Facebook fan pages to like
 Determine blogs to read and how to comment
 Establish professional blog website
 Semi-annual online audit and social networking check-up
 Coaching on effective social media participation including strategy and execution
© 2010 Debra Feldman