“Let’s get digital” as Olive Newton John *never* sang
Recently I was working with researchers from The University of Brighton on their digital presence. All things online …
Youngest nerdling and I wrestled with some avatar creation software (no not the big, blue film kind) the other day. He need one for his school year book but he really struggled to make it look like him. When I helped I had a different perspective – I could look at him and match the features etc. He ended up with a much better impression than my Facebook attempt of myself!
And that is the whole point of a digital presence – it isn’t for us.
Digital Presence. It is for everyone else.
So, this blogs purpose is simple. Harness the power of other people to improve your digital presence. In these weird times where we interact solely online in a work context then we can’t afford to be either anonymous or outdated. My partner-in-nerd used to joke he had ‘opted-out’ but even he has a LinkedIn profile now. We think is is a bit suspicious if people don’t!
My three-step plan.
Step 1: ask a trusted person to ‘google’ you. Set aside some time to do this properly either face to face or digitally. You could perhaps agree to help each other. What do they find? What do they like? What don’t they like? (the last part is why they need to be trusted!). Take notes and edit as you see fit. Remember your digital presence is for someone else.
Step 2: what can you find out about the people in your next dream role?
Look at websites, LinkedIn, job sites. No cyber stalking but you need to understanding how the industry or next layer up on the career ladder ‘talk’ about themselves. How do they describe themselves? How could you adapt this to suit your own experience and skills? Edit and review – perhaps revisiting step 1 again. Or you could try out your new profile on someone in the industry.
Step 3: update your online presence to be aimed at your next potential boss.
You need to niche your presence so it can help you. If you try to appeal to five different job sectors guess what? You will appeal to none of them. I imagine the person I am writing to being in front of me. I know a good deal about their profile: likely age, background, pain points. I have mapped out my ideal customer. You need to map out your ideal boss.
If you are on LinkedIn connect and I’ll take a look at your profile!
Want a professional coach? I can help …
