Saturday, 22 October 2011

Establish a Professional Web Presence this Weekend [Weekendhacker]

By Adam Dachis Oct 14, 2011 5:00 PM 52,190 23

Establish a Professional Web Presence this WeekendWe're all on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or some other social media sites, but the web is also a great place to connect for work purposes. If you want to get yourself out there and share your skill set, here are some things you can do this weekend to get the ball rolling.

Establish a Professional Web Presence this WeekendChances are you're already on LinkedIn, the most popular social network for professionals, but there are plenty of ways you can build on that and other great options as well. We've previously discussed how you can increase your hirability using LinkedIn, so that's a good place to start. You can also build a resume from your LinkedIn profile, create an infographic, and use FellowUp to turn your LinkedIn (and other) data into a personal assistant.

If you'd like to veer off from the standard LinkedIn path, however, there are some other services that are definitely worth checking out. Path.to and Zerply both create attractive professional profiles with your work history. You can even import from LinkedIn and Facebook. If you're particularly worried about how your Facebook profile looks to prospective employers, you can use Identified to find out.

Establish a Professional Web Presence this WeekendWhile professional networks can be a great way to, well, network, they often do not allow for a ton of customization or control. It's good to establish yourself online in some way, where it's a landing page or full-blown web site.

We've looked at several great personal landing page options, but our favorite (and yours) is Flavors.me. We've also created a open-sourced personal landing page should you want to have total control over your content.

If you need more than just a single page, we can teach you how to make a web site. We also have plenty of design tips and a full-blown lesson on designing a site in Photoshop.

Establish a Professional Web Presence this WeekendWe're living in a post-resume world, to some extent, so it might be time to think about alternative ways to promote yourself on your landing page, web site, or professional network. Some suggest an online biography, but with some jobs you'll be more successful by offering a short introductory statement and a link to your professional profile. If you think a regular resume is the best course of action for you, however, we've got plenty of tips. Keeping it brief, dropping common words and phrases, and choosing the right style are all important. If you're looking for tips specific to your specific resume, however, try web service RezScore. It'll analyze your resume and provide you with personalized feedback so you can avoid overused words, poor formatting, and other problems.

Getting yourself out there and finding a job can be tough, especially in a (long) recession, but the more you do the greater your chances. If you're striking out with your current skills, maybe it's time to learn a new one. By the way, if you've got any handy tips on establishing a professional presence online, be sure to share them in the comments. And have a great, productive weekend!

You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.  Twitter's the best way to contact him, too. Related Stories

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