By Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Forget what people say about ‘vanity searching’ or ‘ego surfing’, to google yourself is neither about vanity nor ego. If you’re serious about your professional presence, about owning your space in the virtual world as much as you are about owning it in the physical world, googling yourself is an absolute necessity.
Whether you like it or not, it’s becoming standard practice for companies to google potential employees and/or suppliers. In fact, it’s the first port of call before an interview is even conducted. If a company believes that your online persona doesn’t represent who they are, the chances are that you won’t get the opportunity to represent yourself in person.
And don’t think you’re safe from on-going online background checks even if you’re already gainfully employed. Increasingly, companies are placing more and more weight on how well their employees reflect the brand’s ethos online.
The dire consequences of negative posts or unprofessional profiles on the web are not just reserved to the highly publicised storms we’ve all heard about. It happens on a far less public scale too.
If you’ve never googled yourself, do it now. Especially since Google has just made it easier for you to find out how you are depicted on the internet. Its new feature, a shortcut to personal account information that appears when you’re logged in and conduct a search of your own name, also makes it easier for you to manage privacy and security controls. You can edit what others see about you, and even ask to receive email notifications when your name is mentioned on the web.
People who are not conscious about their digital reputations are often surprised by how much information there is about them on the internet – and by how little of it is relevant to their professional profiles. Social media has become such an integral part of our culture and psyches that we almost feel obligated to document our lives and share it with others online.
However, if your virtual presence is dominated by what you had for lunch, what the weather is like, and how you can’t wait for the next weekend or day off, you have some work to do.
If navigated skillfully, the world of virtual interaction has a lot to offer. Despite its potential disadvantages, it’s a wonderful way to connect, to find others, and be found. There are plenty of smart opportunities that you can exploit to expand your professional presence, your network and your prospects.
In our coaching, we recommend LinkedIn as the channel of choice for professionals. It’s a rich source of knowledge sharing and an incredible platform to network and gain exposure. It is also a place where you can highlight who you are and position yourself as a thought leader through the articles that you publish, the content that you share, and the conversations that you contribute towards.
We’ve all heard the saying, ‘If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one there to hear it, did it really fall?’. The modern day version is, ‘If you did something amazing and never posted it, did it really happen?’ Use LinkedIn to promote the successes in your career. Don’t ever shy away from the opportunity to show people your true value – because if you don’t tell them about it, you’ll probably never feature on the radar of people more influential than you.
Social media can be a very useful tool when it’s utilised with caution, respect, and accountability. Always remember that everything you post can instantly boost or sabotage your personal brand. As soon as something exists in digital format, it is out of your control, so if you’re ever in any doubt, use Emma Sadleir’s ‘billboard test’. Imagine a giant billboard with your picture, your full name, and the company you work for. It’s there for all the world to see. Now imagine that what you’re about to post will appear on that billboard too. Do you still want to say it?
And once you’ve posted some of the intelligent things you have to say, once you’re done updating your LinkedIn profile and created an on-going plan for sharing and publishing content relevant to your career, once you’re done googling yourself… google yourself all over again. Every six months, keep your digital reputation in check. Your career and your business will thank you for it.
Here’s to Owning your Virtual Space.
Lori
LORI MILNER is the engaging facilitator, thought leader and mentor known for her insightful approach to being a modern corporate woman. Her brainchild, the successful initiative Beyond the Dress, is the embodiment of her passion to empower women. Beyond the Dress has worked with South Africa’s leading corporates and empowered hundreds of women with valuable insight on how to bridge the gap between work and personal life. Clients include Siemens, Massmart, Alexander Forbes, Life Healthcare Group, RMB Private Bank and Unilever to name a few. Lori has co-authored Own Your Space: The Toolkit for the Working Woman in conjunction with Nadia Bilchik, CNN Editorial Producer. Own Your Space provides practical tools and insights gleaned from workshops held around the world and from interviews with some of South Africa’s most accomplished women to provide you with tried-and-tested techniques, tips and advice to help you boost your career, enhance your confidence and truly own your space on every level. Own Your Space is the ultimate ‘toolkit’ to unleash your true power. It’s for the woman who wants to take her career to new heights and who is ready to fulfil her true potential.
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