If you are actively managing your career you are in need of a continuously updated, wealth of information. Wikipedia is OUR online encyclopedia, the ultimate collaborative online resource and it’s free! Discover pertinent history, acquisitions, key people, current revenue, headquarters, products and more for your list of targeted companies.
Wikipedia was acknowledged in 2006 by Time Magazine for online collaboration and interaction by millions of users around the world, naming You as Person of the Year, noting on the front cover, “You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world”.
Wikipedia is now the 5th most visited site in the world with 400 million visitors a month according to Canadian Business magazine. Their fundraising goal of $16 million is expected to raise twice as much as the previous year’s campaign which consisted mostly of banner ads, “A small price to pay for the value received”. The influence of personal branding was evident when donations increased by 400% with a change in the banner ads to a personal request from Jimmy Wales, who started the organization in 2001.
Globe and Mail recently reported the average Canadian web surfer reads 16 Wikipedia pages a month, which is the most in the world — one more than German users, two more than Polish users and four more than Americans. Canadian users generate about 217,000 edits a month, which ranks 8th among the most productive countries.
Are you utilizing this online resource to assist you in your job search? If you need to clarify industry related terminology, corporate titles, planning policies, procedures, executive profiles, corporate profiles or obtain a contact name, Wikipedia is a great place to start! Follow up with a Google search for any additional information. Search Twitter for real-time results and Facebook for a Page.