A strong online presence can help you build your career, but many people are misdirecting their efforts, says Ryan Paugh, co-founder and community director of BrazenCareerist.com. SmartBrief’s Doris Nahn recently spoke with Paugh to learn his advice on maximizing the effectiveness of your social media presence.
If you’re just starting out in your career, you don’t have much experience to tout in your online profiles. What can you do to stand out?
I say quit focusing on your experience. Instead, focus on your ideas. Fresh ideas are something that a 10-year vet can’t touch. Blog with the passion and energy that so many experienced professionals have lost over the years. Embrace the fact that you’re green. It’s a good thing.
What’s the biggest mistake anyone, whether newbie or veteran, can make while networking online?
Don’t get bogged down my social media. The rockstars aren’t spending any more than 15% of their time managing their online presence. The rest of the time they’re doing REAL work. Read my lips: If you’re talking to strangers on Twitter all day then you’re not accomplishing anything. Control your online presence. Don’t let it control you.
The best — and worst — thing about Internet networking is its transparency. How can someone, looking to advance their career, network online without giving it away to their current employer that they’re looking?
Keep those conversations private. I don’t talk about business propositions on my Facebook wall. That’s what e-mail is for. Social media is numero uno for networking, but real business is still done behind closed doors where it’s safe.
If Steve Jobs publicly joined LinkedIn, he’d have thousands of connections at his fingertips without taking a breath. What are some basic steps for someone new to the game looking to foster their own connections?
Think quality not quantity. Even if Steve Jobs has thousands of LinkedIn connections at his fingertips most connections would be absolutely worthless. The most talented people have small business networks that consistently bring them value rather than large business networks that don’t bring any.
To learn more key tips and actionable steps for developing your career from Ryan Paugh, Alexandra Levit and Anita Bruzzese, and recruiters from major employers such as Starbucks, Facebook, and Microsoft, sign up for the Career Summit today! (SmartBrief is a partner in this event.)