September 16th, 2008 John Lilley
Xing’s parent company, OPEN Business Club, has just announced that it has acquired a 100% interest Neurona, one of the largest business networks in Spain and Latin America, for an undisclosed amount.
Neurona is a professional network that has a large number of users that are active in Internet companies, expanding its niche groups as well. Xing has already acquired another Spanish network, eConozco, and has recently partnered with Zoominfo to power search tools for users.
I’d put XING as a priority site for you to build an online profile to optimise your personal brand and promote your skills online. Especially if you do business throughout Europe.
As far as B2B professional social networking site XING and LinkedIn are essentially to your online promotion strategy.
I have also heard Viadeo is strong in France in particular let me know your thoughts or any others you feel I am missing.
Posted in Social Networking, Digital Footprint, Personal Branding | 1 Comment »
September 16th, 2008 John Lilley
A recent survey by CareerBuilder highlighted a fact that we have been aware of for a while. Whether you realise it or not you are being researched on the Internet. It is not limited to candidates for jobs either. I have found that during business development activity on the phone, there is a direct correlation to web traffic to company and personal profiles and the number of conversations I have.
According to CareerBuilder;
Of those hiring managers who have screened job candidates via social networking profiles, one-third (34 percent) reported they found content that caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration. Top areas for concern among these hiring managers included:
- 41% - candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs
- 40% - candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
- 29% - candidate had poor communication skills
- 28% - candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee
- 27% - candidate lied about qualifications
- 22% - candidate used discriminatory remarks related to race, gender, religion, etc.
- 22% - candidate’s screen name was unprofessional
- 21% - candidate was linked to criminal behavior
- 19% - candidate shared confidential information from previous employers
It is not all downside though;
On the other hand, social networking profiles gave some job seekers an edge over the competition. Twenty-four percent of hiring managers who researched job candidates via social networking sites said they found content that helped to solidify their decision to hire the candidate. Top factors that influenced their hiring decision included:
- 48% - candidate’s background supported their qualifications for the job
- 43% - candidate had great communication skills
- 40% - candidate was a good fit for the company’s culture
- 36% - candidate’s site conveyed a professional image
- 31% - candidate had great references posted about them by others
- 30% - candidate showed a wide range of interests
- 29% - candidate received awards and accolades
- 24% - candidate’s profile was creative
CareerBuilder provides the following advice;
1) Clean up digital dirt. Make sure to remove pictures, content and links that can send the wrong message to a potential employer before you start your job search.
2) Update your profile regularly. Make sure to include specific accomplishments, inside and outside of work.
3) Monitor comments. Since you can’t control what other people say on your site, you may want to use the “block comments” feature.
4) Join groups selectively. While joining a group with a fun or silly name may seem harmless, “Party Monsters R Us” may not give the best impression to a hiring manager. Also be selective about who you accept as “friends.”
5) Go private. Consider setting your profile to “private,” so only designated friends can view it.
We back these up and encourage the building of an inbrand digital footprint that supports the promise of value that you can provide. Never publish anything that you would not want published on the front page of your local newspaper!
Posted in Digital Footprint, Personal Branding | No Comments »
September 14th, 2008 John Lilley
There has been a continued amount of coverage given to personal branding on the internet. Just last week I had an interesting exercise to complete that really got me thinking. The issue came during a planned career change. All of a sudden I had an entire new problem to solve. It was a little like moving house and having to inform everyone that my address details were going to change and also had to ensure the appropriate utilities were canceled and re-ordered for the right location. In this instance I had an entire digital footprint to update!
As I have kept a detailed log of the sites where I have a controllable presence the task was not to bad but still time consuming. My career has developed in a consistent manner and direction so the themes did not need to change just personal details. Imagine if you had to reinvent a new career, removing you previous footprint could cause considerable stress and hair pulling.
Developing your brand and footprint is a samll part of the battle, updating or changing it is a considerably more strenuous activity. Take the following example of a typical life plan and think of all the changes to your footprint it might bring throughout your life.
Teens: You are embarrassed by your parents and distance yourself as you seek your own personality, beliefs and direction.You adopt every new technology and cannot believe your parents are just not with it!
20’s: You are into all sorts, it is documented online and you will spend the next decade denying it all.
30’s: Now you have money, you can really party - but on consecutive days! Your metabolism has changed and you need to quell the rebel inside. Now your online presence is examined by colleagues, customers and potential new employers.
40’s: Your own kids now walk in front of you and cannot believe you just do not get it!
50’s: Kids have left home you have the ability to anything you want, and you decide you would rather do nothing.
60’s: You actually feel good most of the time, but not all the time!
70’s: Starting to take advantage - use the 10 items or less line even when you have more. Who is going to yell at you!
OK enough, you get the idea. The footprint we build today is going to have to change as we change. Technologies will continue to develop some of which we will embrace, others we will decide are against the very order of things. Either way what we create today will need to be managed in the future.
Sounds like an opportunity, anyone now of a personal brand revamp specialist?
Posted in Personal Branding | No Comments »
