14 Jan 10 Controlling Your Online Reputation

Your online reputation can be the difference between success and failure when looking for a new job. You might not even be aware of what information is easily available to anyone performing a Google search on your name. Almost every potential employer will perform a search on your name, to see what pops up. Too much negativity and you could be crossed off immediately. So how do you go about improving, or creating a positive online reputation?

Well, being as active as possible is a start. Having no internet identity can be just as bad as having a negative one. Employers want to see positive extra curricular activity, and work history. These are cues to what sort of employee you are, so make sure an interviewer can easily find them. Be active in professional forums, maintain a personal blog, and keep a professionally oriented social networking page.

Make sure that everything you put out there puts you into a positive light. Anything you want an employer to see needs to be about creativity, positive, and showcasing commitment and hard work. Don’t bash old employers and bosses, because that’s a big turn off to anybody interested in you. In fact, don’t bash anybody, or have anything negative on a page that’s intended to be professional, because it will only show you in a bad light.

But don’t forget, what you put out there is only half the battle. You need to search your name to see what other people are putting out in relation to your name. Do a search, see if anything comes up from past employers, or if anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see pops up. Takes steps to correct these, or have them removed from search engines if you’re uncomfortable with the material. Most of the time places like Google are more than willing to work with you, so long as you’re polite and patient.

Tags: Creativity, Cues, Extra Curricular Activity, Google, Google Search, Half The Battle, Internet Identity, Interviewer, Looking For A New Job, Negativity, Personal Blog, Professional Forums, Reputation, Search Engines, Social Networking, Success And Failure, Time Places, Work History

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08 Jul 09 Signs You Should Look For A New Job

One part of working for a company that many people seem to forget about when questions of loyalty come into the mix, is when you should call it quits, and decide to leave the company that’s been fruitful for you in the past. Sometimes you hit a plateau, and find that you just can’t grow any more at your job, or sometimes you complete a large product and find yourself struggling to look for other tasks you can complete to justify your paycheck. But there are a few warning signs you should be aware of that will let you know you may want to begin getting that resume ready, whether you believe you’re going to be let go, or if you’re just looking to further your career elsewhere.

One sign that’s fairly easy to spot is if your company is in trouble. Every company is in a relative amount of trouble, given the global recession that’s been battering the world for quite a while now, but if your company is in dire risk of bankruptcy, it’s a good time to think about abandoning ship.

If your company has just recently been turned over to a new CEO, or if you see new leaders at a lower level begin to be negotiated into the company, it’s a good time to think about leaving. The problem with new faces, is that they bring in more new faces that they’ve been familiar working with in the past. Chances are you don’t factor in to their plans, as they don’t know you, and most managers would prefer not to spend time learning how to work with new people, when they can let you go and hire a past employee at the new company.

You hit the plateau at any given company for your skill set. If you’ve gone as high up the ladder as your education/skill set will provide for, it’s time to get looking for a new job. Chances are, even if it’s the same level position with another corporation, you may be able to get a larger salary. The chance to renegotiate pay with a well proven set of skills is always an opportunity you should take, and the new corporation will offer you new challenges and the ability to add a new credit to your resume.

Your boss or corporation fails to fulfill a promise that they had made to you during an interview, or early on in your hiring process. These mean promises not put into writing as an actual contract, but something verbally promised to you. Whether that means a certain amount of money you should be making over a set length of time, or a promotion you should receive within a set amount of time. Whenever these promises are not met, they’re leading you on, and it’s time to find the exit as soon as possible to put your energy towards pursuing a more meaningful opportunity with a company that doesn’t lie to you.

Tags: Bankruptcy, Ceo, Corpo, Education, Global Recession, Good Time, Ladder, Level Position, Looking For A New Job, Loyalty, New Faces, New Leaders, Opportunity, Paycheck, Plateau, Resume, Risk, Salary, Warning Signs

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25 Jun 09 Make Social Networking Work For Your Career

Social networking is more popular today than ever before, with sites all over the internet to appeal to every interest you can imagine. Most people just make use of social networking websites in their free time, purely for leisure purposes. Whether pursuing an interest, or looking for conversation on the things that interest you. Not everybody considers the professional implications social networking can have, and how you can make a website like Facebook, Myspace, or even Twitter work for your business in ways you can’t imagine.

Never underestimate the power of a social networking environment that facilitates other peers in your profession. These types of sites can be incredibly influential for finding out the latest industry news, or important competitive information, like where the best jobs are currently, or which companies tend to care for their employees better. As you can communicate with others in your professional field you’ll also find yourself making friend easier, and industry friends are always good to have, as that sells who you are to a broader audience. Never forget, when you’re looking for a new job, you want your name out there as much as possible.

Professional social networking sites are also a great resource for any company looking to hire new talent. Considering they give you the chance to make friends, meet new people, and really learn about them in an unbiased fashion. From an individual’s online profile, to also participating in conversations with them, you get a real view of the person and what they could offer your company. Opposed to the biased attitude anybody looking to get a job has in an interview.

So don’t underestimate the power of a good social networking site. Probably something a bit more serious than Facebook or Myspace, as these aren’t exactly the best place to have a serious conversation with a stranger most times. But something more geared towards industry professionals like yourself, or your company.

Tags: Career Networking, Conversations, Facebook, Free Time, Industry Friends, Industry Professionals, Latest Industry News, Leisure Purposes, Looking For A New Job, Myspace, Networking Environment, Networking Work, Peers, Professional Field, Professional Implications, Serious Conversation, Social Networking Site, Social Networking Sites, Social Networking Websites, Stranger

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08 Jul 09 Signs You Should Look For A New Job

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