{"id":308,"date":"2011-06-25T18:17:05","date_gmt":"2011-06-25T22:17:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/careertipster.com\/?p=308"},"modified":"2015-03-17T12:11:41","modified_gmt":"2015-03-17T16:11:41","slug":"reverse-job-search-101-how-to-take-control-of-your-digital-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/careertipster.com\/careerdev\/personalbrand\/reverse-job-search-101-how-to-take-control-of-your-digital-footprint\/","title":{"rendered":"Reverse Job Search 101: How to Take Control of Your Digital Footprint"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reverse Job Search: Definition Review<\/strong>
\nAs stated in my past article, the reverse job search<\/a> describes the process of marketing one\u2019s talents, skills, achievements, qualities, and reputation to a target audience so that those with the jobs you want are finding you.\u00a0 Consider how you market yourself.\u00a0 Having a targeted resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation, references, etc. are all necessities but even with all of these traditional self-marketing tools, you still haven\u2019t maximized your self-promotion unless you take control of your digital footprint.\u00a0 If you want employers to see you, you need to have an online brand.\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n

The Digital Age: Get with It or Get Left in the Dust<\/strong>
\nWe are in the digital age where mp3 sales surpass CD sales, movie downloads are putting video rental stores out of business, mobile telecommunications carriers are putting wired telecommunications carriers out of business, and digital e-books have caused traditional bookstores to disappear.\u00a0 Your print marketing materials are quickly becoming irrelevant so you have a choice to get with it or get left in the dust as your competition brands themselves online.\u00a0 Whether or not you realize it, you already have an online reputation and employers are using online content as their new background check.\u00a0 Have you taken control of what\u2019s on the internet?\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t been concerned, you haven\u2019t been strategic about creating content and you may have things on the web you don\u2019t want employers to see.\u00a0 If you have nothing, that\u2019s not any better because that only means no one knows about your brand.\u00a0 So, how do you get started?<\/p>\n

7 Steps to Take Control of\u00a0Your Online Brand?<\/strong>
\nHopefully, you see the importance of taking control of your online brand.\u00a0 That\u2019s the first step.\u00a0 Here are some things you need to do to take control of your online presence:<\/p>\n

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  1. Find out what Employers might See on the Web<\/strong> \u2013 Google yourself to see what employers might find.\u00a0 You may have forgotten about an image, a comment, or a tweet you blasted on the web that you don\u2019t want seen.\u00a0 You can also use www.pipl.com<\/a> which is a very powerful people search engine.\u00a0 Start by finding out what employers will see.<\/li>\n
  2. Review and Cleanse your Online Accounts<\/strong> \u2013 Review your social media accounts, your blog, your posts, and anything else you have on the web.\u00a0 Clean your accounts by deleting unprofessional images, inappropriate comments, or accounts that affiliate you with a group or organization that may be offensive or misunderstood by employers.<\/li>\n
  3. Brand Existing Accounts Consistently<\/strong> \u2013 For the social media accounts you already have, edit them so that you have consistency across all platforms.\u00a0 For instance, if your Facebook account profile is your first, middle, and last name, make sure all your social media accounts are branded this way for brand consistency.\u00a0 Decide how you want to differentiate your brand from others who may have the same name and make that consistent across all platforms.\u00a0 Do the same with content.\u00a0 For instance, if you are branding yourself in the Graphic Design field as a Graphic Designer, make sure your content is consistent with that field showing off your portfolio, blogging about Graphic Design, joining groups about Graphic Design, and joining professional associations about Graphic Design.<\/li>\n
  4. Claim Open Digital Real Estate<\/strong> \u2013 Now that you\u2019ve taken control of your existing online profiles and accounts and made them consistent, go claim your name on accounts and profiles you don\u2019t have before someone else does.\u00a0 Claim your Google Profile, Facebook, Youtube, VisualCV, LinkedIn, Twitter, About.Me, PeoplePond<\/a>, Digg<\/a>, Flickr<\/a>, Photobucket<\/a>, Tumblr<\/a> and whatever other social media account you want to claim.\u00a0 There are tons so claiming all of them is unnecessary.\u00a0 Rather, just choose which ones you will use and\/or that you care to claim.<\/li>\n
  5. Find your Niche<\/strong> – The more focused your niche, the more precise your marketing will be which will improve your reverse job search.\u00a0 For instance, if you are a Graphic Designer, are you a Graphic Designer specializing in Vector Illustration, T-Shirt Graphics, Product Packaging\u2026..etc. etc.\u00a0 Fine tune your niche!<\/li>\n
  6. Get Involved <\/strong>\u2013 You\u2019ve claimed your social media profiles and accounts but now you have to engage with your target audience.\u00a0 Join LinkedIn groups, blog, comment on existing blogs, tweet, and when you do get active, offer value.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tweet about what you are eating or make comments no one cares to read.\u00a0 Be helpful, positive, and insightful but most of all, be focused towards your niche.<\/li>\n
  7. Be Creative<\/strong> \u2013 Be creative about how you market yourself.\u00a0 With all the tools available to you, do something unique and it will get attention.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Was this helpful?\u00a0 Leave a comment!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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