Do you have a Facebook account? Are you a follower or a leader? If you have access to the Internet, it is simply a matter of time before you will decide to follow the other 800 million people and join Facebook. There is no doubt that for many it is the natural resistance to change that could be holding them back so if the numbers are convincing enough, it should be noted that Facebook was launched almost 8 years ago!

Another influential social media site is Twitter which was established in 2006 and currently has over 462 million users. An easy to use, real time resource, Twitter has become a favourite source for all who recognize it’s potential.

The absolute minimum online presence for anyone managing a career or business is Linkedin. Currently with over 136 million users, Linkedin provides a professional site with the resources to display authentic references and a career history linked to company’s and organizations. Networking with other professionals, following companies, job listings and the potential to connect with key decision makers around the world makes this the ultimate in job search tools.

Social media is not a passing fad and the consistent growth of Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to name only a few, will ensure these social media sites continue to be key resources in the successful management of any career or business. No longer is there a choice to be the leader in joining these sites but by following those who did take the lead you are sure to discover the many benefits of online networking!

Where are you in your career today? Where would you like to be in 2 years, 5 years and 10 years? Clearly defined goals will increase your chances for success as long as they are built on a solid foundation! Corporate downsizing, economic fluctuations and the rapid pace of technological advances have become the norm and this year we will continue to see lost jobs, shorter tenures and the need to focus on transferable skills. A successful career transition will depend on YOU! In addition to setting attainable goals, a highly visible and impressive personal brand is the key to establishing a secure foundation in your career. Consistency in a name, profile content, skills and achievements within social media profiles and a professional resume will establish credibility and increase the opportunities to be found by HR professionals and recruiters.

Face to face networking is still key to managing a successful career but online networking is just as critical. This year 95% of HR professionals and recruiters will be searching Linkedin for potential candidates. Accepting this single source without seeking out more online information would be as unlikely as hiring someone based on their resume and eliminating the need for a job interview. Have you invested the time to establish other social media profiles to expand your professional network and increase your online visibility? Is the information consistent and concise? Is your resume up to date and does it contain the expected contact information including a Linkedin address? Does your resume contain the keywords employers will be looking for in 2012?

Contact Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Professional Branding Strategist and Certified Social Media Career Strategist at Elite Resumes for more information on managing your executive career in 2012.

With billions of people creating and sharing infinite amounts of information online it is necessary to give serious consideration to how you will gain visibility as a professional to manage your career or business. Creating a Facebook Page, Twitter profile and Linkedin account are the absolute basics for an online profile and although these social media sites offer a significant google ranking, the key is being “social”.

Anyone can establish online profiles or a website but gaining the necessary visibility requires a great deal of input. Expanding networks, sharing content, providing comments; all are time consuming requirements but necessary to generate a positive, professional, genuine and visible brand. This is where caution is advised. Generating automated canned invitations, generating automated pages and comments are all becoming the norm but how beneficial is it?

Career or business, your reputation will be hinged on genuine, authentic content. Without it, you could be generating a negative impression. No one is interested in the millions of automated comments, which if not blocked are simply deleted as SPAM. A small network consisting of individuals you know based on personalized invitations will be more valuable than one twice the size consisting of total strangers.

Are you paying someone to send out these automated comments? “I like to read this. You have provided great information in your blog. I am very happy to read this blog.” Be sure you know what you are paying for,  Automated SEO, The Pitfalls and-Risks of Taking Shortcuts and ask for that second opinion. Is it doing more harm than good?

So often I see comments which are unfounded, rude, offensive or simply inappropriate. Surely this kind of behaviour and lack of professionalism is not generated from a conscious intent or purpose. Many will see a negative comment and immediately give the author a superstitious excuse such as, “they must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed”. We simply don’t want to accept the spread of ill will as intentional.

In fact, I see so many inappropriate comments that I’ve decided it can’t possibly be a desire to publicly humiliate yourself or establish a negative personal brand but rather a lack of knowledge in the use of the various communication tools available. Take note of the following to ensure there is no mistake when you make a decision to post a private or a public online message:

When responding to an email the reply tab at the top allows you to Reply to Sender or Reply to All; choose wisely.

Text messaging from most phones allows for multiple recipients and forwarding.

If you’re using Twitter, What’s happening, retweets and @mentions are public. To send a private message select the recipient and choose the small envelope to the right.

Facebook allows you to post on your own wall and on a friends wall as well as commenting on other comments, tagging, and so much more which is all public however, you are able to select Privacy Settings from the drop down box under Account to allow friends of friends or just friends or a custom setting to sensor who will see your information. If you want to send a private message, select the recipient and then select Message at the top right. Keep in mind that although messages can be shared between two people the option is available to add people to the conversation in which case they will be able to see all the messages in the stream. There is also the option to forward any or all the messages to another party.

Linkedin is pretty consistent with many others with the option to compose a private message which can be sent to an established connection, to invite a new connection or initiate an introduction to connect. Privacy settings are available by selecting Settings from the drop down box under your name at the top right. Depending on the settings you choose, most of your activity will be public and posting an update will be shared with your connections.

Choose your settings carefully and if you decide your comments deserve public attention be sure the content will be suitable for many years to come!

As you may have read in the many blog posts here at Elite Resumes, a Linkedin profile is the absolute minimum requirement for an online presence. It’s been over 2 years since a Certified Professional Resume has been written here that did not include a Linkedin address as part of the contact details. Although Facebook and Twitter addresses are not often included they have become the top search sites for HR professionals and recruiters. If you can’t be found it could be reason enough to eliminate you as a potential candidate due to insufficient corroborative information.

The following Facebook Page for businesses, https://www.facebook.com/business provides the information necessary to establish a page for your business but marketing your business is not so different from marketing yourself as a professional. The consumer may vary but the need to market and clearly brand a product to entice interest is the same. Your personal brand and a professional online profile highlighting your expertise is the marketing collateral necessary to sell yourself to HR professionals and recruiters. Most professionals are not experts in marketing and even those with expertise within the industry rarely succeed at marketing themselves so it is in your best interest to consider the resources offered by an executive career management professional.

A Facebook profile does provide the ability to manage friends by creating individual lists but creating a separate Facebook Page provides the opportunity to establish another professional presence with a highly significant Google ranking. The following links will take you to a few Facebook Pages that are getting noticed.

Social Media Examiner posts the finalists in their Top 10 Small Business Facebook Page contest.

http://www.facebook.com/ExecutiveCareerManagement

http://www.facebook.com/EliteResumes

Learn how social media has changed how we do business. Find out which social media sites you need to have a presence on and how to use them. Discover the power you have to generate opportunities by embracing a global community!

Getting the message across is important and as much as I am opposed to the school curriculum today which teaches children to focus on the story and not to worry about spelling and grammatical errors, I do understand the emphasis on encouraging the development of expression and creative abilities. However, in my personal opinion, I believe our children are much more intelligent and capable than our school board does and have the ability to express themselves creatively and learn to spell and use proper grammar all at the same time! My daughter, an amazing writer of stories and poetry, graduated from Grade 8 with a Certificate in Literacy as well as an indifference to proper spelling and grammar.

Whether we blame our education system or our dependence on spell check programs, it is clear that the complacency regarding spelling and grammar mistakes needs to be addressed before we lose the ability to communicate altogether entirely. In a world of emails, texts and blogs, it is more urgent than ever that the message we send is a clear one and one which is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Proper spelling and grammar are directly attributable to our ability to articulate properly and professionally. It is very likely that those carrying on a conversation and mispronouncing words such as acrossed, drownd or expresso would not do so if they had learned how to spell them correctly. Grammatical errors such as, please send it to Lauren and I rather than to Lauren and me, which is correct, are all too common.

The following email was received today and should further highlight the urgency of this issue:

Subject: Re: I have a couple of full time opportunity for a Busienss System Analyst
and i am wodnering if you know anyone who might be interested in it?

Hello xxxx,
How are you today? Hope all is well on this beuatiful day. I had two opprtunities for a BSA with (SDLC experience), two each in the Domains of Foreign Exchange or Derviatives (Capital Markets), for a Bank in downtown xxxx. 3 Years Domain with systems knowledge for intermediates and 5+ Years for a Snenior. So I though I would ask to see if you know anyone interested in it?
If you know anyone intereisted in any of these, please have them contact me, and I thank you in advance for any considerations that you may have in this matter!!
Regards,
xxxx

xxxx, President
H.B.Sc., M.Sc.Phm., Ph.D.

The time and effort necessary to avoid these blatant errors in spelling and grammar is negligible. Please use the resources that are so readily available in order to correct these mistakes; too many to forgive!

Everyone has a choice in life between good or evil, happy or sad, positive or negative,  considerate or inconsiderate just as we have the choice to post it or not to post it. The best advice is to think before you post giving consideration to  your intent and to the impact your post will have on others. Do you actually have the facts surrounding your post? How will your message be received and could it negatively impact your reputation? Is it reflective of your personal or corporate brand? If your emotions are running high don’t post anything! This is not to say that sharing your opinion is the wrong thing to do but remember once it’s read you can’t ever take it back! For those who are so self-absorbed that they are unable to consider anyone else, you may want to refrain from ever posting anything.

We are not all the same but we can share the same expectation of consideration online as we do in person. Most of us are not going to walk up to someone and verbally assault them and nor should it ever be done online. Honesty and integrity should be the basis of all online profiles but it may be a difficult lesson when so many parents are allowing their children to lie about how old they are in order to establish a Facebook profile before the age requirement of 13 years. If anything, maybe some children will learn from the mistakes of adults but is this what they should see? Again, consideration must be given to EVERYONE who will see your post.

Jane Doe wrote:
“Now why would I go to your party, after YOU ARE HAVING AN AFFAIR with my now EX boyfriend. You are NOT a good friend “Sassy”! And I’m putting it out there for everyone to know. Watch your men around “Sassy!”

Most are likely already aware of Sassy’s reputation so what does this post really say about Jane Doe?

John Smith wrote:
“I hate my fat, lazy boss. Think I’ll call in sick tomorrow.”

John Smith might feel great about this post but I wonder how happy he will be when he loses his job?

Employers are using Facebook to review employees and solidify the candidacy of potential employees. Parents are checking the profiles of those we trust to teach and counsel our children. Family and friends are sharing information that will touch the closest of friends, acquaintances, children and grandparents. Professionals are networking and managing executive careers. Customers are checking businesses for quality products and services. How appropriate is your post? Will it show a lack of empathy, emotional stability or is it simply offensive?  If you need to deliberate over whether you should post it online, that’s a clear indication NOT to post it on Facebook!

Report: Facebook Wall Posts Are Full Of @#$%, “More than 60 percent of users have at least 10 pieces of what Socioclean calls inappropriate content, including profanity, drugs or alcohol.

The Star has a great article by Vanessa Lu, and the prevalence of employers utilizing social media as a resource to ELIMINATE potential candidates. Although organizations are popping up to clean up the mess, the most appropriate advice was from Ontario’s privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian, “a simple message – think before you click”.

Visit the Facebook Page.

Establishing an online presence is simply basic protocol for anyone managing a career or business so it is necessary to get beyond the fear surrounding the issue of privacy but that’s not to suggest that managing your privacy settings is not an important factor. The basis for a social media presence includes the top three sites, Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook and you will also need to set up your Google profile which will include the links within it to each of these sites. While establishing these profiles you will see that all provide privacy settings and it is important to review and understand your choices. It will help to look at the default settings as well as those which are recommended. Keep in mind that not everyone interested in you will be your best friend and you do not want key decision makers to avoid you because they think you are trying to hide something.

The number of applications developed for all of these sites continues to grow at an amazing rate linking information between various sites and continually expanding networks. If you have established any online profiles you may be surprised at the number of applications currently authorized to access to your site information and they should be reviewed on a regular basis. Most  will only offer the option to remove the application and others will have some further privacy settings associated with the site such as authorization to post on your wall. Regardless of some of these very reputable applications, I strongly suggest you maintain control over what is posted on your online profiles.

To find your applications on Linkedin, select the More tab at the right of the top bar which will provide a drop list with your current applications and the choice to Get More Applications. Twitter applications can be found by selecting Settings below your profile name and click Applications on the right. Facebook applications can be found by selecting Account on the right and then Privacy Settings and on the bottom left see Apps and Websites and below that, select edit your settings.

A recent search of a professional who sent an email with a link brought up a HTML page that contained absolutely no contact data and no name. The company name was used to do a google search and although a web site was found, again there were no links to anything. No contact data, no name, no social media links. This is how not to be found!

If you do not have a Linkedin profile, you are not among over 100 million professionals networking and sharing opportunities and you won’t be found. If you have developed a profile but failed to include any further contact details, you still may not be found if a recruiter prefers to pick up the phone or use email.

HR professionals wishing to verify the various causes you said you supported in a job interview but couldn’t find results in the news media will likely look to Facebook for verification. If you do not have a Facebook profile or Page, you won’t be found!

Submitting a resume is usually done in the hope that someone at the receiving end will respond. Despite this intent resumes are submitted every day without phone numbers, email addresses or Linkedin addresses. You can be assured that without this basic information there will be no response and you will not be found!

Networking in person is as critical to your success as networking online but attending an event without sharing a business card providing adequate contact data is just one more example of how not to be found!