How to Manage Your Online Appearance
What exactly is LinkedIn? What exactly is Twitter?
A social networking tool that allows you to strengthen and extend Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging
your network of contacts by exchanging knowledge, ideas and service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages
opportunities with a broader network of professionals. of up to 140 characters, known as “tweets”.
Why do people use LinkedIn? Why do people use Twitter?
• It allows you to market yourself and create a professional brand. • It allows you to meet professionals you admire.
• It enables you to establish, build and maintain a professional • It lets you track the trends of the industry you are interested in.
network. • It enables you to stay in contact with companies and
• It lets you share and gain information about career fields, professionals that you might not interact with otherwise.
companies and job opportunities. • It is a creative outlet.
Tips for marketing yourself on LinkedIn Tips for marketing yourself on Twitter
1. Get out of your comfort zone and use LinkedIn to develop a 1. Create a twitter account that showcases your professional profile.
strong professional brand and network. Set up your twitter account as though it were your online business
2. Include interests specific to the industry you are in or want to enter. card. Only include information that would make you look ready!
3. As always, be authentic. Don’t stretch the truth to present a 2. Start following people and institutions. Pay attention to
certain image. professionals who work at the companies where you might want
4. If you are interested in a specific field, you should do a search for to work someday, and “follow” them.
groups to join and companies to follow. 3. Create content. Tweet about yourself and tweet out interesting
5. Rather than put an activity like surfing in Specialties, which observations and articles that are relevant to the industry that
should feature work-related skills, type it into Interests. you are interested in.
Mix work-related skills with a couple of more personal or 4. Send private notes to potential mentors. A great way to network
extracurricular ones, to show a complete picture of who you are. is to reach out directly to someone in your field and let them
6. Send private notes to potential mentors. A great way to network know that you are looking for new connections or opportunities.
is to reach out directly to someone in your field and let them Do this after you have interacted with them through retweets
know that you are looking for new connections or opportunities. or responses to tweets they have made, do not impose pressure
Do this after you have interacted with them through group without any previous interactions on Twitter.
discussions, do not impose pressure without any previous
interactions on LinkedIn.
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6 Things To Do on Social Media As a Job Seeker
Don’t get too personal
Eating a fantastic meal at John Hancock’s Sky Lounge? Riding an endorphin high after a class at SoulCycle? Refrain from oversharing. Whether
it is your dating life, recreational life or dinner, keep it out, especially if it is at odds with your professional brand.
Avoid negativity
According to an Intel survey conducted surrounding mobile etiquette, the number one pet peeve people had about behavior was negativity.
Recruiters do not like negativity such as when people complain a lot about their commute. In the absence of facial expressions or tone of voice,
text can be misunderstood so keep it positive!
Keep it clean and avoid profanity
If they hear or read it online, and it is associated with your personal account, it will be associated with you professionally.
Be tactful when posting photos
Not every photo you have ever snapped deserves a home on the World Wide Web...that
category, obviously includes intimate photos, of course, but also vintage pictures that have
the potential to embarrass you or your friends (bad perms, mullets, horrible glasses, the
freshman fifteen). Does anyone really want to re-live those memories?
Your social media audience does care what you are up to, but too much ‘me, me, me’ and not
enough engagement with others will make you appear self-centered.
Steer clear from bashing a former, current or future employer or job
Do not talk negatively about a job or even a recent job interview. If you think the interview you just had went terrible, there is no need to air
it online. Use social media to put forth the best you, the image you want to project to the world. You will find that is easier to do if your online
presence mirrors your thoughtfulness, kindness and respectfulness in the real world.
Shun dishonesty
When it comes to social media dos and don’ts, it is important to think twice before posting something online - especially something dishonest.
If you would not say something aloud to a crowd of strangers, DO NOT post it on social media. Once you hit the return key, you have no real
control over how that information will be shared. The same goes for texts, e-mails and comment boards.
As it relates to your LinkedIn profile, don’t over embellish. Instead, be accurate and honest like you would in a resume, as it can be easily verified.
@IllinoisMCS
College of Media at Illinois
Media Career Services | 18 Gregory Hall, MC-477 810 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 244-4329 | Fax: (217) 244.9392 | Email: media-careerservices@illinois.edu
810 South Wright Street | 119 Gregory Hall | Urbana, Illinois 61801
