Putting Your Professional Self Online

social media sitesSocial media is not just for socializing. When handled correctly, you can use it to enhance your personal brand, establish your expertise, or demonstrate your digital fluency. Commit to using social media for professional reasons and be proactive about managing your activity and image. Consider what potential employers or colleagues will see—you don’t want them to discover only pictures of you and your dog, or worse those photos from college.

To get the most out of your profile, follow the 3 C’s:

  • Create:  Make sure at a minimum you have a LinkedIn account with a completed profile. Build your profile with as much professional information as possible.
  • Connect: Seek out people you know and people you want to know. Connect to influencers as well as potential customers.
  • Communicate: Try tweeting or blogging about your area of expertise, thereby creating content that others can forward, retweet, or repost. This can help you establish yourself as an expert.