There are so many options for presenting yourself professionally. Conventional means include your resume and biography. In addition, you can use your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to present yourself. The same goes for Twitter and any blogs you host or to which you contribute. In fact, your web presence may be as or more important than your resume or your biography.

More than a few longstanding clients have been hired out of LinkedIn. The transactions occurred via texting and phone interviews. In one case I know, the candidate never presented a formal resume. So, when you prepare your resume for your next career move, take the time to synchronize its content and tone with the materials you have posted on the Web.

Consistency is the name of the game. If you are presenting yourself in your resume as a stand-up, non-profit leader with development skills, keep that profile going on LinkedIn and in Facebook. This requires some skillful execution.

I find myself in the position of going through this analysis myself. During a four-year period, I have acquired three LinkedIn accounts and a Facebook account, the latter which has been a place to conduct random searches for lost high school friends and to post cute graduation and life-in-action pictures. More than two clients have searched me on Facebook, so I decided to create a separate, professional Facebook site. I did this with the help of a marketing professional who will also secure a domain space for me with GoDaddy as well as post consistent profiles on LinkedIn after I have updated my resume and biography with recent interests, affiliations and accomplishments.

You may find yourself confused by the options out there, and you may wonder how to prioritize. To give some direction, I offer what I decided to do:

OUTLINE OF NEXT STEPS

• Google yourself to see what your current web profile looks like. If your namesake has been indicted for fraud in another state, use your middle initial or professional credential as part of our name to distinguish you.

• Update the resume. Be sure to keep it focused on the skills you want to exercise in your next leadership role. Use key industry words to describe your strengths and accomplishments. Cite numbers where appropriate.

• Create a web-friendly biography. Two energetic overview paragraphs will introduce you in a direct, catching way.

• Delete extra LinkedIn accounts. (They only confuse those searching for you and create multiple places for contacts to reach you. None of this is efficient nor productive in the long run.)

• Draft a new profile for LinkedIn, and get key references posted by former supervisors, peers and direct reports.

• Join affiliated LinkedIn groups.

• Create a professional Facebook site. It can be more relaxed than your LinkedIn profile, but it should retain a “professional” feel.

• Submit new blogs (like this one to ExecSearches.com) on topics of interest in your industry.

As I complete my new-and-better bio, I am thinking about the professional photo I will use on LinkedIn and on the Facebook professional site. Right now, I favor something definitely professional but with a little flair to it. I will also include a bit of cross-over information in the updated LinkedIn profile. It will contain more personal detail than will the resume, but it will not include anything too controversial (like political or religious affiliations). Rather, it will give the reader a sense of who I am as a person in non-business hours. My professional Facebook site will be similar except that I will include more non-business texture – like the fact that I am writing a fiction book.

To establish my professional “brand”, I will focus on LinkedIn along with my blogs and the bios posted on various affiliated websites. I will use Facebook less as a professional tool and more to address my community and personal interests. This combination works well for me. But, it may not be the right mix for you.

Take a little risk. Experiment a bit to see – given your time and interests – which mix of social media you will use in addition to your resume to explore and be a presence in the marketplace. Then, have some fun. Getting the next exciting role may be as easy as posting your profile, resume and bio with a sunny, professional face on the Web. Go for it.

Karen Alphonse is a Senior Consultant with the ExecSearches.com team. A graduate of Harvard and Columbia colleges, Karen works closely to match mission-driven organizations with sophisticated leadership talent. She has worked primarily with educational, health, religious, social outreach and advocacy organizations to identify outstanding leaders for their consideration. For more information about Karen’s search portfolio, please contact us at admin@execsearches.com.

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Last updated on September 18th, 2012 at 04:55 pm