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An Online Profile (Done Right) Can Help You Stand Out In Your Next Job Search
By Patrick Robbins
The popularity of social networking has made online profiles ubiquitous and almost
everyone over 12 years old has one. The online profile, used for meeting people
with similar interests, looking for romantic encounters, or making professional
connections, can be a very powerful tool both in the social and the business realms.
In particular and more recently, an online profile has become an essential tool
for a job candidate looking for a quality position.
A state-of-the-art resume is no longer just a piece of paper. Job candidates looking
for good positions today have an electronic presence specifically dedicated to their
job search.
A paper resume should always be brief, and limited to one or two pages. The online
profile however, is an excellent way to add in all the "extras" that didn't make
it into the resume. This also makes it much easier to distribute information about
oneself. A job search is often built on networking and acquaintances, rather than
formal meetings and interviews, but most people do not carry paper resumes with
them wherever they go. The better alternative for casual meetings is to carry personalized
business cards, with the URL to an online profile printed under the name. When an
unplanned conversation occurs that relates to a job opportunity, the candidate will
not be caught short, and can immediately offer the card-giving the acquaintance
an opportunity to review the candidate's credentials later on.
An online profile dedicated to one's job search may include valuable links that
provide information that would be impossible to include in a paper resume, such
as links to published articles or company URLs for previous employers. While some
job searchers prefer to create their own web sites from scratch, a more efficient
method is to utilize a social networking site with a built-in interface for creating
a profile. The advantage there is that in addition to the ability to create a profile,
the job candidate will have an opportunity to connect with others on the same networking
site, and may also have access to other value-added features such as lead exchange
programs or job search areas that may be searched frequently by hiring managers.
For people in the sales profession, a great new site for creating an online career
presence is Salesbook.com. Unlike other business networking sites, Salesbook.com
is designed to allow the sales professional to provide incredible detail and content
about their positions and successes throughout his or her career, and includes many
valuable tools that give members the ability to create a highly customized profile
with as many relevant attachments and sections as is needed. In addition to being
able to create interactive presentations, members also have access to valuable networking
areas for making that valuable connection and landing the job of a lifetime.
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