“It takes only three to five seconds to make a first impression, but it can take a whole career to undo it.”
That’s what Dana May Casperson, author of “Power Etiquette: What You Don’t Know Can Kill Your Career” said.
The same thing applies online, where first impressions are often the last. An avatar or online profile is the only thing people can use to judge you. Don’t let these little things spoil your opportunities.
For beginners, here are 3 basic tips I find very important.
1. Be presentable
Who doesn’t like someone who is pleasant to the eye? Even if you are not successful yet, dress the part. Can’t take a good picture? Find professionals to do it for you.
Don’t scrimp when it comes to your appearance. People won’t take you seriously if you don’t.
Of course, there are plenty of good lookers out there who know how to package themselves. What’s more important for you is to find your own style. There’s no need for expensive suits 24/7 if they don’t fit your personal style.
Stand out by letting your personality shine on the outside.
2. Be searchable
To help potential employers find and understand you better, it helps to be searchable online. You can also meet great opportunities by building online presence.
Control the information you want to share. You would not want to end up losing your job for what you shared online.
Google is a very common platform used to create an online profile, which can be used as an online resume. The profile can be linked to your social media profiles, blogs and past work, if any.
It is also important to create professional social media profiles, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. They can help you build a strong professional network and connect with people. Even if it’s a professional profile, remember to be personal. It’s okay to reveal a little bit of your personal life.
In line with the previous tip, select an avatar that best suit your personal branding. Your profile background and descriptions are little things that should not be neglected as well.
3. Build credibility
Like any brand, it is essential to be credible. Where best to show your experience and skill sets than online? Let people know what you possess, share your knowledge and help people online.
Find a topic of your expertise and share it by:
- Writing an e-book
- Creating a blog
- Maintaining a website
- Shooting your own videos
These are just a few of the many channels you can explore. Remember that you have to portray a consistent image throughout these channels.
} 
Wow those are great tips! Thanks for sharing. I especially agree with your first point. I have a common first and last name and that really doesn't help me get my desired username.
The other points are great for building credibility and presence. We can't be cooped up in our own profiles, websites and blogs, we have to step out and reach to people.
Hey Dan! You are right. We can now search for anything online. And if people can't find you, you can't be that important, or credible. Also, it is vital for us to embrace this fact and work on what we want people to see when they type our name in that search engine.
Thanks for the comment!
Great post. Clear and concise. Seems like these days it all starts with building your personal branding online. Saw an interesting post this week (sorry, forget URL) reminding people that your personal branding will be there for potential employers too and they suggested to be cautious or inappropriate photos or comments. Being searchable is often overlooked, and a process that can take some time.
A couple tips to being searchable with Google…
- acquire your preferred username quick. It's a land grab, so hopefully yours is available to be consistent across all social platforms you use.
- write a few articles and submit to article directories. Be sure each submission is unique.
- engage in a forum or three with your signature link to your blog.
- comment on (relevant) blogs on a regular basis.
Sarah, great job with these tips. Be searchable is the one that stood out to me. If people can't find you, how are they going to be able to do business with you? Awareness is the key and it's the first step in the customer purchasing decision.
Agreed! Thanks for reading! (:
I think #1 is the most important. Great article!
Hey thanks for the advice. You are right, social networking is important beyond Facebook, LinkedIn and the like. They have to find specific communities in their industry.
And learning is definitely important. I have seen people with great personal branding (they even sell their personal branding products such as keychains and stickers) and I still have so much more to learn from them!
Well said Sarah, all your points are very important when first starting out and even for seasoned veterans. I especially like your last point on building credibility, I have found those four suggestions to be very helpful, but I also suggest social networking, but not just on Facebook, but on niche sites and learning from others in your field.