Get Online to Get Ahead

Over a number of years in my many travels to colleges and universities I have discovered that many students are using Facebook for connecting online but when it comes to LinkedIn and Twitter very few actually have a presence. My suggestion would be for you to look at your online presence currently and decide whether it’s enough to ensure that you don’t miss out on all the opportunities that being connected online can bring.

Why You Need an Online Presence

If you are a student that is connected across all three channels that is great as you will already be creating some differentiation for yourself. You will have an edge on your class mates.

A number of recruitment consultants use LinkedIn to find candidates and in the many LinkedIn Groups you can find job opportunities.

Many employers use Facebook and LinkedIn as background sources for information on people – so my advice is to be aware of what you are posting on the sites (same advice applies to Twitter).

Twitter has a huge amount of information on all sorts of subjects which can only benefit your knowledge level.

So my advice is simply this – get connected across all three channels as a minimum. If you have created and are writing your own blog then that is great as well. Now you are really motoring.

Are You LinkedIn?

If you use the LinkedIn facility to put your academic qualifications/professional standing on line then that can only be useful for you.

Additionally it will force you to structure your thoughts in what you want to say so the exercise will help you prepare your CV. If you already have a CV then you can use much of that information for Linked In.

Many event and business professionals have put their profiles on LinkedIn and are using the site to find out about their potential business partners/competitors and generally keep up to date with what’s going on.

LinkedIn Groups

There are some LinkedIn Groups that are open to everyone (clearly you need to have a Linked In profile first) so you could join them and keep up to date with the latest topics being discussed.

You can adjust the settings so that you only receive Group messages on a daily or weekly basis which helps you decide when you want to see the messages that come from the groups.

Tweet Tweet

Twitter is another great way of connecting with people and finding out what the latest thoughts/issues are. This is not to be missed.

People on Twitter post such a wealth of useful information you would be missing out not to be involved.

Yes there are some people that post trivia but the choice is always yours as to who you follow and how you want to use this.

When I first started I just created an account and then observed how it all worked. I found this approach really worked for me.

My advice to you would be to keep an eye on a group called #eventprofs – You really will not be disappointed.

This is one engaged on line community that is creating the curve and is full of friendly and supportive people.

The amount of useful information you will pick up will be significant (I promise).

Summary

Developing your online presence will require some time investment from you but the long term benefits will be worth it.

Whilst you need to connect face to face, don’t miss having a virtual presence.

When you have your online presence be sure to include the contact information within your business cards/e mails/letterhead or else you are missing an opportunity.

Seven Top Tips

Set some time aside on a regular basis for your virtual (professional) activity.

Dust off or create your CV – This will be a big help for the Linked In profile.

Have a look at any Linked In Groups that may benefit you and join them.

Have a look at the #eventprofs community on Twitter and join the conversation when you feel ready.

Remember to only post information that you are happy to put into the public view.

Follow @planetplanitbiz and keep up to date.

Keep looking at all the upcoming social media channels and add them in as needed. New players are coming in all the time.