What about Web Presence?

Did you know employers aren't googling you to find a reason not to hire you, they are googling you to find a reason to hire you?

Gone are the days of googling yourself, making sure that nothing "undesirable" pops up and avoiding anything that might cause context collapse (when people from different communities collide). And ahead of us, are the days of actively building your web presence to take control of your image. 

So, what are employers looking for? They are looking to see which candidate has the best web presence (or reputation or brand online). Employers are asking: 

"Do candidates have a professional website? Are they engaging with other professionals on social media?

Grow Your Digital Footprint 

Part of web presence is having a digital footprint (online activities, including social media use), which is created every time we use networked technology.  If you leave your digital footprint unattended however, it may not reflect what you want it to reflect about yourself professionally. 

When you have a digital footprint that is not created or influenced by you, it becomes a passive digital footprint or digital shadow. It is like that neglected plant you may have forgotten about that sits somewhere in your house. The longer you leave it, the less and less it resembles what it's suppose to and instead, you get a sad, dark shadow of the plant that used to be. You build a web presence by nourishing and growing your digital footprint. Taking control of your digital footprints and actively managing your presence will influence the story the internet tells about you. 

Tips to Build Your Web Presence:

1) Create a "Base Camp"- set up a personally controlled website to be the central place to host your digital and online activity. Try sites like Wix, Weebly, Google Sites, WordPress. This is a place to direct people to learn more about you and your work, this should be different than your ePortfolio. 

2) Engage in Social Networking- leverage networked social tools, technologies and environments and engage in needs, learning and opportunities of your practice. Try Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Both Facebook and LinkedIn have great groups to join, while Twitter is good for the backchannel conversations between participants at a conference, for example. There are also social networks focused more on academia: like Research Gate and Academia. 

3) Contribute, Share and Use Instructional Resources and Artifacts- embrace a culture of contribution, share resources and seek feedback from others outside of your field. Sharing work online will help you further grow your digital footprint. Artifacts also showcase your skills and abilities. For artifact sharing, try: SlideShare, Flickr, Pinterest or Youtube. Social bookmarking tools are also great to explore! Try Diigo and Flipboard.

What's your web presence like? Just for fun, google yourself and see the top 5 things that appear. 

Is it social media platforms? Professional resources? Maybe your own website? Is it content created or influenced by you or did someone else post it?

For me the first things that appear are:

1. Social media platform (Instagram)

2. LinkedIn profile 

3. My University Figure Skating Roster profile 

4. My current teaching position on the school district website 

5.  Social media platform (Facebook)

Create, share and build your web presence!