What does your online footprint say about you?

In any economic climate, competition for the best positions remains tough. It’s incredibly important to prove to an employer that you are the best candidate over your competition. But before you send your resume, let’s visit how your online footprint represents you.

With the explosion of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, many job seekers must consider the highly visible record of online interactions and activities. Employers have a variety of inexpensive and easily accessible tools to research candidates before even scheduling an interview and determine whether there will be a fit without even meeting anyone.

What does this mean for you? Any off-putting or controversial online material may keep you from a job offer or even scheduling an interview.

Over half of employers now research online their candidates and the vast majority of those employers have turned down candidates by what they’ve seen online. Ensure you present yourself in the best possible way therefore not excluding yourself from a great opportunity. Just as you can find them, they can find you….

So You’ve Been Hired in Your First Professional Role

For many people graduating from university or college, their first professional role can be quite daunting. They’re not sure what are the do’s and don’ts are of the company. Even trying to follow the status quo can be rather confusing.

There are a few protocols you can follow that can seem common sense to your employer but, unless you’ve worked in a professional environment, you won’t really know the unwritten rules. These can make the difference in how you are viewed by your colleagues and employers.

1)      Put your cell phone away: Listening to the buzz of a cell phone message can be very distracting to your co-workers around you and disrespectful to the others in the meeting. Coffee and lunch breaks are the ideal time for you to check personal messages. Whether you are a salaried employee or are paid per hour, your employer is employing you to perform tasks for them. Checking personal texts and voicemails should be done on personal time. If you need to give a number for emergencies, give your direct line or the main line and have reception page you. You can check in with family and friends later.

2)      Facebook and Twitter are a no-no: Many employers actually block access to these sites from their networks. Same as text messages and personal calls to your cell phones, social networking sites should only be visited on your own time.

3)      Don’t discuss business on social networking sites: The fastest way to be considered unprofessional is to discuss your bad day on a social networking site. Posting a status about a co-worker or your thoughts on your workday is considered a huge mistake. Keep your personal life, personal and your professional life, professional.

4)      Listen, watch, and learn from your colleagues: You are new to the company and you’ve just graduated with little or no experience in the industry. Many of your colleagues have the same degree you have obtained and have practical experience you haven’t yet gained. It’s very important to remember that you “have to pay your dues”. Each member of the workplace has done this and now it’s your turn. It’s an exciting time for you and while it’s wonderful to have fresh ideas and insights to projects or environments, you must choose your timing well and be respectful of those who came before you.

5)      Find out the Reporting Structure: Once you start, you should find out what the reporting structure is. Being too familiar too soon with the wrong people can be detrimental to your career. Your colleagues may be able to call the VP by his/her first name, but until you are introduced as such, address them with formal titles (Mr./Ms.). This may seem old fashioned but it’s important to show those in decision making roles you are respectful of their positions and the achievements they have accomplished.

Not all of your colleagues will follow these rules and you may see your co-workers still checking their Facebook or Twitter status. Before you decide “if they’re doing it, I can, too,” analyze their progression in the company and what real value they add. Do you want to follow in their career path or do you want to carve your own successful path? Do you want to be viewed by your colleagues, clients, managers, employers as a competent employee who gets the work done in between personal calls or the viewed as a necessary cog who takes their work and contribution to the company seriously? Ask yourself these questions the next time you go to read a text at work. Again, your employer is paying you to contribute; use your time wisely.

What story are you telling?

If you were writing a book about yourself, what would you write? How would you describe the courses you’ve taken; the subjects you’ve learned; the experiences you’ve had? Employers reading your resume have never met you. You have to put into writing who you are and what you’re about. Your resume is a very important part of the hiring process. Your resume is going to communicate your employment and educational story.

I’ve seen all types of resumes and seen all types of faults. Resume writing is not easy. It’s not meant to be easy. You are looking for a career and want an employer who is going to pay you tens of thousands of dollars; you may have to devote more than a few hours creating your resume.

Your objective should clear and precise. What are you really searching for? The old “contribute to an organization’s success” isn’t unique. What is special about you? What, specifically, will you contribute? If you aren’t targeting a specific role, you can still generalize your objective while injecting your personal goals.

Beware of using a generic resume. Resumes can be too broad. If a potential employer has to search your resume for hidden talent, you probably won’t be asked for an interview. If you have a degree that could be applied in a variety of ways, you’ll have to create a variety of resumes; one for business, one for administration, one for sales or business development and so on. The potential employer won’t have to decipher or make assumptions as to why you’re applying for their role.

Don’t embellish. Be honest on your resume. If you only touched on a subject, don’t list it as a skill. On your resume, you only want to describe talents you can support in an interview. You may not know why the employer was interested in your resume so be sure you can clearly discuss any information you’ve provided.

Be sure to highlight your achievements. If you don’t have any practical experience in the workplace, highlight projects you completed. Describe the project, the objective, your role, and the result. Always include proof for your statements. To state you have a proven skill without supporting it is a moot point. Who was it proven to? What was the situation? What was the result?

Now I’m not saying you need to write a book; in fact, two pages is enough without practical work experience; three pages with experience. But you need to understand yourself. This is a great opportunity to do some self-reflection. Potential employers don’t know what you’re capable of so it’s up to you to tell them.

What first impression do you really make?

When you think of the word “professional”, what comes to mind? Do you think of suits and ties, uncomfortable shoes, unfashionable skirts and appropriate blouses; you know, stuff your parents wear? You may also imagine “stuffy” offices and mannerisms. 

Because of these perceptions, I often see candidates who try to represent these ideals. I would prefer to meet an individual who is real and a true professional. 

A true professional is comfortable with the knowledge they have gained whether from experience, education or both. They want to use these talents to contribute to the company they’ll work for. They behave in an appropriate manner yet also incorporate their personality. Employers want to meet a candidate who is confident and communicates their ideas, hopes, and beliefs clearly. You don’t have to wear a tie or “power suit” to express this but do bear in mind that prospective employers will remember you more if you present well. Business casual attire is appropriate for both career fairs and interviews. Career fairs are like mini-interviews. You’re still making a first impression. In the business world, Perception IS Reality. Try and dump the coat and back-pack before coming to the fair. Clean, pressed clothing will show you care about your appearance and what you represent externally. 

When going to a career fair or sitting in an interview, you should be prepared with questions that are important to you. If you aren’t sure how you can use your degree in their company, ask them how you could fit but give them some background. Merely telling them you have a BComm or BA isn’t a lot of information. What was your major/minor? What courses really grabbed your attention? What do you want to pursue? Do you want a career in finance? Would you like to gravitate toward contracts and business development? You need to understand the education you’ve just received and how that can be used in the work place. 

Besides how you can use your skills, what else is important to you? Do you care if the company has corporate responsibility? What size of company would you like to work for? Does it matter if the company has sports teams, social clubs, gym memberships, or maybe involved in Corporate Challenge? What motivates you? Are you motivated by career growth potential or are you financially driven? A lot of people are driven financially for one reason or another. It’s okay to admit that just as long as it’s communicated.

When I ask a candidate what they want in their career and for their future, I’m often told “A place where I can grow” or “To work in a good environment”. I call these stock answers. It’s somewhat like watching a hockey interview and the player says “We need to get back to basics”, “Keep it simple”, “Get pucks to the net”. Wouldn’t you just love for them to tell you what they’re really thinking? Explain what your definition of career growth is. How do you define a good work environment? 

There are challenges on both sides of the employment desk. You, as a graduate, want to find not just a job but a career (or maybe a job would be great for now while you pay off your loans). The employer is looking for prospects that have potential; who excite them and have fresh ideas to contribute the team/company. There is stress for both parties in the hiring process but in all there is a common goal; to find the right person for the right role. If you do a little research into yourself, you’ll be one step closer to reaching that goal.