6 Ways to Build Your Online Reputation

As you progress through your job search, one fact of life will become abundantly clear.  All potential employers will search for you online; they will “google” you and use all social media sites that they can get their hands on.

What they find (or, in some cases, don’t find) can measurable shorten or lengthen your search. Therefore, you need to take the time to build an online reputation that will serve you well.  The key to doing that is to create valuable, searchable content that draws others into your circle of influence and establishes you as an expert in your field.

Here are 6 tips to help you do just that.   

1. Listen and Learn. Listen to conversations (or read material) related to your career interests and learn from them.  In order to contribute content, you need to educate yourself.
2. Define yourself. Do not get distracted with other subjects. You need to define what you want to talk about and consistently focus the majority of online conversations and content to that niche.
3. Write. Even if you are gainfully and happily employed right now, you need to take every opportunity to create valuable, digestible, searchable content.  So start writing. Corral your thoughts, pick a topic and do some research to boost your credibility. Then put fingers on the keyboard and type.
4. Post. When you are done, post your content on one of the many platforms available. To be relevant and respected, you first need to be found. LinkedIn has a great new way to publish your posts, one that can turn you into an instant author with an instant following.  Or start your own website or blog.
5. Be Real and Approachable. Writing for an online audience is very different than writing a term paper. A more personal/casual approach to writing works better. Your writing should more closely align with how you speak (albeit with proper grammar and syntax).
6. Start now. The average job search takes 6 months, but successfully building your online reputation can take up to 12 months. Therefore, do not begin this process once you are unemployed and looking for another job.  You need to start now.

This strategy has potential to really pay off, but it requires writing discipline and a steady flow of ideas you can transform into posts. It is not for everyone.  But if you enjoy writing and have enough information to share, this strategy could land you your next job.

Like what you read? Check out our other blog articles, and visiting our Candidate Resource Hub where you can find helpful, relevant information for your job search – everything from writing the perfect resume to how to nail that interview to how survive a layoff.  So visit the Snelling website today, and when you are ready to look for your next job, contact us and let’s get started.