What your online presence can do for your career

Did you know I host a TV show? I know, crazy right? I never in a million years thought I'd be hosting anything, but that's what happens when you put yourself out there online. Things start happening.

This can happen to you too.

When I decided to write a book and get it published I read all there was to read on how to do this, and most of the books said to get a publisher as a non-fiction author you have to have a platform (e.g. an online presence).

So I started this blog to begin to connect with my audience and start to give away content for free. 

And since I'm a big fan of multiple learning styles I thought to myself (why don't I read some of my blog entries to my laptop camera and post them on YouTube for students who prefer to listen or watch something rather than read it).

My first YouTube videos are literally me reading my blogs (kind of embarrassing...I can't even watch them now). 

But I just went for it. And eventually, these producers of a local college success show filmed at Tallahassee Community College found me, connected with me, and hired me. I just got back last week from finishing the last episodes for season 2.

The latest episode below is all about professional and social networking, and let me tell you, it works!

When you put yourself out there, especially in the context of something you love and care about, like-minded people will flock to you. Job offers will flock to you. And the best part - you'll meet and connect with amazing people all over the world.

So do you have a good online professional presence right now? Could someone searching to fill your dream job find you? Get going, and hopefully this episode will help!! :)

And for more on building your online presence be sure to download my free ebook How to Get a Job Without a Resume!!

Can you be yourself on social media if employers are watching?

A student recently asked me the following question:

I wanted to ask you about incorporating personal branding with social media. I have ALWAYS used social media to vent - but if that makes you less favorable in the eyes of employers, it seems that there is no longer a medium in which we can post semi-inappropriate statuses, or share our actual thoughts in the moment, when Twitter/Facebook is being monitored by employers. What I'm really asking for is advice on finding that balance. How do you do it?

Here is what I said:

This is a GREAT question. Personal branding and your online persona go hand in hand, but you are right: it requires balance.

While it can be hard to figure out how to balance your personal and professional self on social media, the process is actually easier than you think. The key is to be intentional and thoughtful about why you have social media and the results you desire from your posts.

For example, ask yourself: is social media a way for you to A) connect with professionals, network, and find jobs, B) connect with friends, or C) both? 

A) Professionals: If you primarily desire for your social media to be professional, think of all your channels as a LinkedIn, and focus on adding value in your field and remaining positive and helpful. Notice the social media channels of the top professionals in your field and use them as role models. 

B) Friends: If social media is a way for you to vent and be your uninhibited self, you'll want to be very intentional about your privacy settings and who you allow to be your friend on Facebook or who you let follow you on Twitter. 

C) Both: For me, social media is both an important part of my job (I get most of my clients from it), and a vital part of my social life (I love my Facebook friends and Twitter peeps). Since that is the decision I've made, I'm very intentional about remaining positive, fun, and helpful. If I have a horrid day or need to vent, I do that with my close friends, in-person or in a direct message. You can also consider having two separate profiles, a private one just for friends and a public one for networking. 

Again, the key is being intentional. The worst mistakes people make with social media come when they don't think about it at all. Choose your number one social media priority, and then post accordingly. 

Have fun with it and be yourself, but remember to adjust depending on your desired audience, just as you do when you choose how to dress for an interview versus a party. 

Only you can decide your social media priorities, and once you decide, you'll be far ahead of the majority of people who don't even think about it.

5 steps to make the most out of LinkedIn in college

On every Monday night that I can, I join the #InternPro chat with YouTern on Twitter, and last week's topic was: "Not on LinkedIn? Are You F'ing Crazy?" lol. YouTern always makes me laugh. 

The conversation was wonderful, and it helped me realize that a lot of students are intimidated, confused, and unsure about using LinkedIn when they're young. So I wanted to ease your fears and give you five steps to start using LinkedIn in ways that can help you right now!

Note: If this is the first time you're hearing about LinkedIn, it's essentially a Facebook for professionals. It's more about developing job opportunities, less about sharing funny cat meme's (thought feel free to share them with me because I love them).  

1. Build your profile. Have a friend take a nice headshot of you in professional clothing for this profile picture. For your title, list "'student' or, if you know your major, '_____ major' at [insert your college here]. For the rest, visit your college career center and ask them to help you  build a resume, and then use that to build your LinkedIn profile. 
2. Find a mentor in your desired industry and ask him/her to look over your LinkedIn profile and give you advice on how you can tailor your current experiences to be attractive to company's where you'd like to intern. 
3. Use LinkedIn's advanced people search and play around with entering things in the keyword, title, company, and industry boxes that relate to what you are interested in. Do not limit yourself by location initially, and just read the profiles of people who have jobs you might like so you can learn where they got their start, what they majored in, and how their career has progressed. It will teach you a lot about the paths you can take. 
4. Use the advanced people search again and this time look for people in jobs you'd like who live near you. Learn as much as you can about them in a general online search, and then send them a personal request to connect as a friend, telling them briefly why you admire them and that you want to learn from them. You can then follow the steps in the post I wrote about how to find a professional mentor. 
5. Join LinkedIn groups related with your desired industry and get involved in the discussions. Joining these groups sometimes gives you access to message some group members directly (great way to find mentors). Groups will also help you stay up to date on industry news (very impressive for a college student), and learn about job opportunities. The best way to find groups to join is look at the profiles of people who are in jobs you're interested in and scroll down their profile to see which groups they are a part of - then join them!

I'd be happy to be your first LinkedIn connection! Once you've built your profile you can request to connect with me here; just tell me you're a blog reader and I'll accept. 

Happy LinkedIn'ing ;)

How to make the most of social media

Social media is the primary way most of us connect with other people, and despite the proliferation of meme's and pictures of people's pets (which I'll admit, I love), social media can lead to some of the most meaningful connections in your life.

However, the most powerful social media relationships occur when you add the other senses to your interactions (e.g. you need to see them in person, shake their hand or hug them, hear their voice, and...smell them? Ok that'd be weird, but you know what I mean).

There is something chemical that happens when we meet with people in person that will never be replicated online. And the bonds you create with people in person are the ones that will affect your life - both personally and professionally. 

So how do you turn a social media connection into a more meaningful connection? There are two strategies depending on your purpose, for friends or for business:

For Friends

Too often we let social media take the place of in-person hang outs with friends. I call it the social shortcut - and I am so guilty of it. 

Instead of making the effort to invite a friend to coffee or chat on the phone (do people even do that anymore?), the social shortcut allows you to just write something on their wall or send them a message. This works great for most things, but it keeps us from getting really close with people. And as humans, we need to feel that closeness with others in a live community. 

So here's what you can do (don't worry, I'm not going to make you call anyone): instead of just messaging a friend or writing on their wall an open-ended "I miss you" or "we should hang out," look at your calendar, figure out when you're free, and then text or message them an invite to do XYZ on one of your free days. Give them all the times you're available that week and ask them to pick the time that they're free too.

Make the effort. Keep inviting people until someone says yes. Don't get discouraged. Because once you come home after hanging out in person, you will notice you get a feeling that social media just can't touch. 

For Business

There is a lot of hype around how social media can help people in business. Some are skeptical, however, because it's difficult to quantify how social media effects sales or careers.  

I've always been a huge believer that social media can help you find mentors and develop professional connections, and I've recently experienced how valuable those professional connections can be - especially when you translate them to in person meetings.

The third section of my book is all about how to do this, but in short, simply  interact with them as you normally would wherever you "met" them (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook) and get to know them by what they do on social media. Build a casual "internet" relationship first. 

Then, send a direct message or e-mail saying why you admire them and ask to chat on the phone for ten minutes to ask their advice. If they live nearby, ask to meet them in person. Something magical happens when you connect with someone in person. I'm sure this is documented in a sociology book somewhere (and I'm almost sure 'magic' is the scientific term). 

When you make that in-person connection, you become familiar with someone in a deeper way - a way that lends itself much more closely to developing a mutually beneficial relationship where you help each other in your careers, and many times, your lives. 

I owe so much to social media, and some of my most treasured in-person friendships and business opportunities have come from Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

And just so we're clear: Don't meet online strangers in dark alleyways. Do make the effort to make your social media connections count. 

Three for Thursday – Managing your online identity

It's Thursday and that means that I have three things to share with you that have piqued my interest this week :)

This week, I've been thinking a lot about online identities. Check out the three things below that I engaged with this week to help you maximize the potential of your online identity - while also having some fun doing so.  

1. Twitter chats – I didn't understand Twitter chats until recently and have fallen in love with them.  If you don’t know what a Twitter chat is, it's an online meet-up or discussion in which groups of people congregate to discuss things, usually in a Q&A format, while using a #hashtag to keep the conversation linked. They are usually open to anyone and can be a great resource for learning cool information and connecting with like-minded people. The one I've been taking part in lately (and have loved) is #Internpro with @YouTern. There are many chats and I'm still learning about them - so tell me your favorites! If you aren't on Twitter, consider signing up as I have found it a great place to connect with awesome people and professionals who have become actual real-life great friends. 

2. The pictures you're tagged in on Facebook - This recent post from the blog, TheUnlost, features blogger's Therese Schwenkler's self-evaluation of her college "tagged" pics. In addition to making you laugh out loud as it did me, Therese offers a brave and honest look at the ways in which we sometimes use social media to create false identities for ourselves that don't support our long term success. Check this out to have a laugh (she shares her college pics) and learn from Therese how to avoid mistakes many students make and find a way to positively and genuinely represent yourself on Facebook. 

3. An online resume – Have you ever considered this option? You can create a free account from Blogger or Wordpress and use really simple template tools to develop one. In today's world, an online portfolio of your educational and professional accomplishments can only help. It shows you are technologically savvy, that you are cutting edge, and that you are aware of how online identities affect future employment. Employers will search for you online and it will be better for them to find more than just your Facebook profile. I stumbled across a friend of mine's online resume this past week. It's a great template to help you get started.