Employment

COVER LETTER TIPS   •   INTERNET PRESENCE   •   INTERVIEWING TIPS   •   JOB TIPS   •   RESUME TIPS   •   SALARY INFORMATION   •   SECURITY CLEARANCE

INTERNET PRESENCE

An email address is essential in today’s world. Your email address should be professional. For example, daddyslittlegirl@yahoo.com won’t convince an employer of your “leadership” or “management” capabilities. Similarly, BBhoopstar@hotmail.com may send the wrong impression to a potential employer. If your personal email is questionable, create a new one. They are free. Here are host sites for a free email address:

Yahoo.com
Hotmail.com
Google.com

What do I do to create a positive internet presence?

Create a profile on internet Niche Boards that interest you. Create a profile on IdealMilitaryHire.com. This profile takes an average of five minutes to complete and will automatically generate a URL and display your own professional career information. Create a webpage. Many hosting companies will provide or offer a website building tool that will create a website for you very easily: www.GoDaddy.com or www.verisign.com are two such webpage hosts.

Create a career social networking site on an appropriate space such as www.MySpace.com or www.FaceBook.com. More business geared sites can be found on: www.LinkedIn.com, www.xing.com or www.spoke.com. Be sure that the information that you include on these sites, such as photos, music and blog comments are professional in nature. Employers will research you on the internet, so you want to make the best impression.

Another avenue would be to create a Blog about something you’re interested in or that you’re knowledgeable about. REMEMBER: be appropriate.

What’s on the internet about you?

Recruiters and hiring managers do look up candidates on the web and they will see positive and negative information if it’s out there. Look yourself up by visiting Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, ZoomInfo and Ask.com. That is the only way to really know what a perspective employer might find. Review at least the first three to five pages of results.

What if you have no internet presence?

The job type you desire will determine the importance of your internet presence. Many computer savvy recruiters will research your internet presence for additional information that may not be in your resume. Not having a web presence could hurt you when applying for roles with web savvy companies, which require influence/leadership with other web savvy people. Internet based companies, community-focused technology companies, etc., want to hire people who are already passionate about interacting with others through the internet. If you, as the job seeker, have no internet presence at all, we advise that you consider creating a profile. It's not only a great way to build an outline portfolio - but these activities can provide valuable experience.

What if I have a negative presence on the web?

Not only will recruiters and hiring managers look on the sites mentioned above, they may request additional information on you via background checks and screening. If you have had any violations in the past with the law, make sure they are resolved and removed where applicable. Your credit reports can also be pulled to determine your financial responsibility. See the financial section for more information.