Your 2.0 Identity

 

 .

 The Job Search: Redefined

  

People across the world are struggling in their new found career as “job seekers” and the competition is tough!  Not only is the competition for jobs tough, the old way of applying for jobs is outdated and much less effective.  There is no guarantee that sending out a knockout resume and cover letter is even going to catch a second glance.  Web 2.0 has changed the way people interact, meet each other, go about their job search and most importantly, the way hiring managers are making their decisions.  There are two main points that have caused these changes; one, we are living in a Web 2.0 world and your 2.0 Identity can and will be found by potential employers and two, this is no time to blend in with the crowd.  If you want to get a job, you’re going to have to stand out which, is not something easily achieved with a cover letter/resume combo.  Whether you realize it or not, with the accessibility of information on the Internet today, and as a job seeker, you are being judged on much more than the email attachments you send to hiring managers.

 

 

So the question is, “What is your 2.0 Identity and what can you do to stand out professionally using Web 2.0?”

 

 

  

Your 2.0 Identity

  

First, consider your 2.0 Identity and how you represent yourself online.  Who you are and what you do is your personal identity, which is unique to you and only you, however, when you post your personal information online, you are creating a 2.0 Identity with online and interactive capabilities. 

 

As a job seeker, it is important to create your 2.0 Identity in a way that it stands out from the rest of the crowd and gains recognition.  One way to increase your recognition is to sync your 2.0 Identity across the board of social networks.    From a marketing perspective, marketers want to promote their brand using a solid campaign strategy; one that relates their message clearly and will reach their target audience. 

 

Think of it this way, if every bag of Doritos came inside a bag that looked dramatically different from the other and half the flavors came in boxes instead of bags, it would be much less obvious to see what a strong brand Doritos is and how much dominance they have in the chip industry, in fact, their brand would probably not hold the share they do now if the above were true.

 

This same idea translates to your 2.0 Identity.  Having connectivity among all of your social networking profiles builds a strong 2.0 strategy and paints a clearer picture of who you are to potential employers.  That being said, manage your online content so that employers are reading what you want them to read.  Having a Linked IN profile attached to a Facebook account with a picture of you from last weekend’s kegger is not only creating an identity split between the two networks, it is also sending the wrong message to potential employers. 

 

 

Tips to creating a strong 2.0 Identity: 

1. Use the same picture, preferably a professional one, across all sites 
2. Link your profiles together (i.e. put a link to your blog in your Twitter bio)
3. Use privacy settings to ensure the content being viewed by employers is appropriate  Facebook has come out with phenomenal privacy setting that let you categorize your contacts into various groups.  Use group titles such as, friends, family, and co-workers to specify the content accessible by each
4. Use status updates as personal advertisements informing people of things like, what you are doing to advance yourself professionally, industry updates or personal insights your network will find valuable
5. What’s the first thing you want people to think when they see your name?  Just like in a marketing campaign, create your 2.0 Identity tagline and use associated keywords to get your message across.
6. For example, if you want to be know as a technical guru, choose keywords related to your unique combination of capabilities (i.e. Ruby on Rails, Java, etc)

Getting Creative

 

Once your 2.0 Identity is polished and your “online brand” is ready to hit the shelves, it’s time to think of creative launch techniques.  Hiring managers get hundreds of resumes a day and the only thing that differs is the format and font they come in.  Imagine being in their shoes; wouldn’t you jump at the chance to review a candidate based on something more interesting, visually stimulating and creative?

 

 

 How Will You Get Noticed?

  

The more you do as a person, job seeker, candidate and potential employee to differentiate yourself beyond the standard resume template, the more attention your application will receive.  The question is, “How can I differentiate myself?” the answers to which are many with new techniques emerging daily.  However, starting somewhere is better than not using the advantages of web 2.0 and your already extensive involvement, at all.

 

Techniques to differentiate yourself:

1. Create a visual resume and send it as a pdf attachment alongside your normal resume  (Include things like slides from a knock-out presentation you put together, photos from a recent ad campaign you put together or demonstrate your Photo Shop skills by including a sample)
2. Add a link to your blog or attach a recent article you wrote relating to the industry you’re applying for
3. Want to show off your great leadership skills?  Include a video, picture or document that represents the results achieved by a group you recently led
4. Fed-Ex a paper copy of your resume, unfolded, to the person you would be directly reporting to for a position you are interested in
5. The internet may have decreased the boundaries of communication but with so much spam and so many resumes filling email folders, nothing says “Look At Me,” quite like a crisp 81/2”X 11” envelope first thing in the morning
6. Use what you know your advantage by sending your potential employers links to your profiles on various social media websites; show them you have nothing to hide

Have a personal success story or technique you’re dying to add to the list?  Let’s hear it!

 

 

Advertisement