When you’re looking for a job, it’s essential to have a positive online presence. After all, most potential employers will look up your social media profiles and search for you online, and you want your digital footprint to reflect positively on you and your career. Check out these 6 tips for building a solid online presence that will help you get the job you want.  

Create an online portfolio with professional photos.

Building your own website is a great way to show off your previous work and expertise in a polished way. If you’ve never created an online portfolio before, don’t stress! It doesn’t have to be complicated. Use your resume as a starting point and add extra details, like graphs, charts, white papers, or articles you’ve created. Keep it simple and easy to navigate and be sure to regularly update it so the information stays fresh.

Include keywords on your career website and in your resume.

Many companies use automated tracking systems to accept resumes which allow them to search for certain keywords and eliminate applications that don’t meet their requirements. So, if you want to get your resume to the right people and get through the digital sifting, you have to include the right keywords in your content. Think about words and phrases recruiters might use when looking to fill the type of position you’re seeking and include them in the body of your resume. Don’t just create a list of words in your resume, but make sure they fit smoothly and cohesively into your content. And be sure to include these words and phrases in your online portfolio as well, the better to show up in searches for potential positions!

Monitor your social media presence.

Some people think they can keep their personal social media separate from their career, but that isn’t the best idea. Social media can be a great way to build personal connections that can lead to professional opportunities, and your personal profiles should present the same face to potential employers as your LinkedIn.

Put time and effort into your LinkedIn profile.

Don’t just throw together a LinkedIn profile in a few minutes. Take time to build out your account with a professional photo and detailed job history. You’d be surprised how many recruiters check LinkedIn first when scoping out possible new hires, so you want to make sure your profile is just as detailed as the resume you submit to hiring managers and recruiters. Make sure you have professional photos of yourself on your LinkedIn as well. The time is over for selfies as your profile picture.

Look for opportunities to create online content.

Show off your expertise in a blog post, whether by creating your own blog or guest-writing on someone else’s. Blogging is an excellent way to expand and improve your online presence, and you don’t even have to be an amazing writer to create a solid blog post. Just make sure whatever you post is error-free and don’t write anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to read.

Be active online.

You won’t have much of an online presence if you don’t interact with other people online. Participate in forums and comment on content that interests you on LinkedIn. Make sure your comments are thoughtful and don’t get involved in debates, but definitely take time to be more involved on the websites you’re a part of. You never know what opportunities you’ll find as a result!

By building your online presence, you can open yourself up to more career opportunities and growth, as well as build a network of personal and professional connections to help you find the job of your dreams!