This is not a fad anymore that will pass. Let’s look at some numbers:
Facebook*: 1.59 bn* active users
LinkedIn**: growing at more than 2 members per second**
Xing*: 9.7 m users
From a career perspective, having a professional profile on LinkedIn or Xing (especially DACH region) is no longer an option, it’s a must. And to cheer you up: it isn’t rocket science either.
First and foremost for the skeptics among you: YOU decide what and how much YOU share. YOU influence what potential employers and headhunters see when they google you, your email address or telephone number!
Here are the most important guidelines:
Fill it in. As above: you decide what and how much you share. Decide what content is relevant for your target group.
Manage your privacy settings. The options set by default are usually not the most convenient ones. Use internal filters to separate what you want to share with contacts / public / etc.
Security. Choose a good, strong password that is not the same as the one you have for your email and bank account.
Don’t hide everything either. At the end of the day, your online profile should help you to become potentially interesting for future employer / headhunter etc. Use it to show your personality.
NETIQUETTE RULES. Never write with CAPS LOCK. Reply to the messages you receive. Always think twice before hitting “Enter”. Be as brief as possible – it doesn’t necessarily mean rudeness. Remember the difference between public posts and private messages.
Use it. Don’t let others see that the last content you “liked” was on November 25, 2013. If you have tried Twitter 3 years ago and haven’t done anything ever since, delete the account.
PS. Note to self: google myself, my telephone number (private & business) and email address (private & business).
Feel free to request a complimentary LinkedIn Report, assessing the overall impression, professionalism of your profile all the sections systematically. Just send an email to Bichl.Sandra@CareerAngels.eu (Subject: LI Report) and add the link to your profile.
* www.statista.com
** www.linkedin.com
