BUILD YOUR E-REPUTATION

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Charles Darwin

As the world is changing, it is important to adapt to this change in order to thrive and succeed.  Social medias allow to make yourself known, it is an opportunity to showcase your talents/ accomplishments and stay on the radar of recruiters, but more importantly to keep your reputation on track. In fact social medias are not about not for bragging or boasting, its just letting people know who you are and what you do.

Why social medias are good for your career?

Nowadays having the right skills and experience is not always enough to secure a job; you can’t count on people calling you out of the blue to hire you, if they don’t know about you. Moreover you know what you are doing, but nobody else knows . The more people know what you are capable of, the more opportunities you will find.  Studies have shown that 92% of companies are using social media for hiring, ¾ hiring managers will check out a candidate’s social profiles on a social media and 78% of recruiters have made a hire through social media Eg: MTN Cameroon, LinkedIn

 “In the 19th Century, people built railways to connect the world. The global railway network of today is the Internet. This is where knowledge is to be found; this is where jobs will be created.” Donald Kaberuka, Former President AfDB group

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 SM allows you to: promote your work at lower or no cost with a global reach, to build a competitive advantage, to proactively manage each stage of your career, make your job search much more effective and keep track of your reputation. Don’t leave it to chance

SM can help researchers have a scientific impact; in fact, a recent study found that researchers whose work was mentioned on Twitter tended to have a higher h-index . It can help to mobilize resources through crowdfunding and even connect with wealthy donors and angel investors.  Likewise, not being on social media can hurt your career and severely limit your visibility with running the risk that undesirable search results appear before desirable ones.

To start using social media professionally, first ask yourself:  What do I want to be known for? What qualities do I want people to associate with me? What is the first thing I want to have pop in their heads when they hear my name?

The Top Popular social media sites are Facebook,  Twitter ,  LinkedIn, Blogs. And YouTube. You can stay up to date with Google alerts. In fact google alerts allow you to stay at the cutting edge of developments and news in your industry, ensure your knowledge is always relevant and keep abreast of the latest trends emerging in your field . Other essential social medias Slideshare , ResearchGate’s, Pinterest .

Build your reputation by marketing yourself

The only way to get people to know who you are and what you do is to tell them.  Begin early; start to market yourself even if you are still a student. In fact, your Passion is Your Weapon. Do it with passion, or not at all.  Earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and do not forget to shape your image to the pursuit of your goal. Create a professional profile that captures your skills, abilities, talents, expertise and titles that you want viewers to know about you. Show pride in your work/achievements and position yourself as an expert in your industry.

 Best practices every professional should observe

1.     Think of yourself as a brand

2.     Create a clear identity and use your real name

3.     Update your profiles regularly

4.     Use an updated image of yourself

5.     Keep your image professional and consistent

6.     Evaluate your overall presence online regularly. It's Not narcissistic to Google yourself

7.     Make it easy for potential employers to identify you.

8.     Communicate professionally

9.     Keep your content professional

10. Make sure your profile is complete

11. Use analytics:  Know what viewers are looking for, find out which calls to action generate the most interest, etc.

12. Don’t have photos you wouldn’t want an employer to see.

13. No drunken escapes, no profanity, or slurs.

14. Don’t bad mouth former employers, bosses, co-workers

15. And Before posting any item on social medias, ask yourself “does this serves me”

In conclusion social media is not a nicety, but it is a necessity. Get it, learn it, use it.

To us social medias professionally focus your postings on your accomplishments and skills, make frequent updates to your profiles and by all means make sure you are keeping up with the technology changes.