This document discusses how to protect and leverage your online presence for professional networking and job searching. It outlines that recruiters and employers now research applicants online and make judgments based on what they find. It recommends managing your online reputation by securing privacy settings, monitoring for mentions of your name, and having a consistent professional online brand. The document also provides best practices for using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter strategically to build your professional network and showcase your expertise and qualifications to potential employers.

1. Social & Professional Networking Fridays with BCS | April 16, 2010 Todd Sweet Asst. Dir. Of Advanced Media Communications Office

2. Overview Defense – Protecting your online reputation Offense – Building & leveraging your network Success Stories

3. Part I: Protecting Your Blind Side

4. Q: Why Bother? A: Your Reputation Now Precedes You “Your online presence…is slowly becoming part of the formal recruitment process. It’s also where first impressions occur before in-person handshakes are made, so you have to make sure you are managing your brand online, before someone else does it for you.” - Dan Schawbel[1]

5. Privacy Concerns “Now, recruiters can easily and anonymously collect information that they would not be permitted to ask in an interview, and the survey found that recruiters are doing just that.” [2]

6. Perception 7% believe information about them online affected their job search [2] Reality 70%of recruiters have rejected candidates based on information they found online [2]

7. 75%companies have formal policies in place that require hiring personnel to research applicants online [2] 89%of recruiters and HR professionals surveyed find it appropriate to consider professional online data [2] 84%of them think it is proper to consider personal data posted online [2]

8. Where Recruiters Look[2]

9. Google Search Variations: “todd sweet” todd sweet tmsweet tmsweet@gmail.com

10. Monitor Reputation With Google Alerts Google Alerts: http://www.google.com/alerts

11. Facebook Privacy Settings Related: 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know, All Facebook

12. Twitter Privacy Settings

15. OMG! I need help! Brand-Yourself (http://brand-yourself.com)

16. 85% say that positive online reputation influences their hiring [2]

17. Part II: Offensive Strategies

18. Pick Your Networks Other Industry Groups?

19. Facebook: Pick a Persona

20. Twitter: Best Practices Add professional profile picture Use your full name Use bio section to make professional pitch Link to online resume, like LinkedIn profile Post about your areas of interest to demonstrate knowledge Find and follow influential people & organizations in your industry Follow job search accounts

21. Twitter – Professional Profile Example: Robert W. Zeman (@robertwzeman)

22. Twitter – Personal Persona Example: RobZ (@RobZ)

23. LinkedIn: Best Practices [3] Add professional profile picture Complete your profile Solicit recommendations Provide recommendations to others Customize your profile URL using full name Connect to Twitter account, if appropriate Answer questions Join niche groups Post comments w/in groups Link to professional websites using custom descriptions

24. LinkedIn Example: Robert Zeman (http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertzeman )

25. LinkedIn Example: Robert Zeman (http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertzeman )

26. Part III: Success Stories Ernest Baker – Internship at Complex Medium RajkumarSithavan – F/T Position as Business Analyst Other stories – How Job Seekers Are Using Social Media for Real Results[4]

27. Notes: [1] Schwabel, Dan. 5 Ways to Avoid Sabotaging Your Personal Brand Online. Mashable. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. [2] Cross-Tab. Online Reputation in a Connected World. PDF. Jan. 2010. [3] Howes, Lewis. Top 10 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Blog Using LinkedIn. ProBlogger. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. [4] Van Grove, Jennifer. How Job Seekers Are Using Social Media for Real Results. Mashable. Web. 8 Mar. 2010. Online Presentation & Related Articles: http://toddsweet.com/post/524127540/bcs