In a few days, I will be heading to Denver, CO to attend this year’s AEJMC Conference – I am very excited about this. I am looking forward to hearing some great presentations, listening to insightful discussions, and meeting fellow professionals and researchers in the communications and public relations disciplines. In addition to attending the AEJMC Conference, I will be interviewing for positions in Public Relations for next year. It is a very exciting time and I am looking forward to it! 🙂
What I have noticed since being on the job market is that people are really being innovative and creative with using social media to network with others. With people trying to establish a proactive and professional presence online with social media sites and the Internet, employers are trying to look for people that not only have the skills and knowledge in their respective fields, but they also want to get to know the person as well. Social media has allowed people to not only post their resumes, make professional networking connections, or write on their own personal blog, but it has allowed them to share information about themselves in many different formats. From video to audio formats, these formats allow people to see what is beyond the text – you get to see the person, hear their voice, and look at how they communicate and represent themselves. There are many different ways to showcase your online reputation by using multimedia to incorporate into your personal website or blog – ranging from video files (ex. YouTube, Vimeo) to pictures (ex. Flickr) to visual presentations (ex. Slideshare, Prezi).
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/12974450[/vimeo]
What is great with videos is that you can show future employers what you have done in terms of work experience, professional presentations, and even a short video interview of yourself talking about what you are interested in, how you see the world, and what are some of your strengths that would be beneficial for them in their corporation. In addition, you want to make sure that you have some examples of some of the work that you have done at your current position, presentations you made at various conferences, and a sample of writing / visual communication documents such as conference posters.
OUR APS 2010 Poster on "Snakes in Suits" - Very cool!
For example, one thing that I have done with both my website and blog is be very active in taking pictures of myself during my conference presentations. Not only do I have pictures of myself presenting, but also videos. I think that this is absolutely key to have a professional online reputation and presence. Pictures and videos do indeed show more than a 1,000 words – and it really shows others who you are as a professional, practitioner, and person.
Presenting at the Reputation Institute Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (May 2010)
In summary, social media has brought about so many positive opportunities for professionals, researchers, and students to network with others and be able to show the online community who they are as people and what they can bring to the company or institution in terms of skills, knowledge, and experience. It is indeed a very exciting time to be a part of – there are many opportunities out there – you just have to be proactive in managing your reputation, invest in your personal brand, and have the experience and knowledge in your respective fields. 🙂 There are many good tips out there on how to do this – you have to decide what best works for you. 🙂
Hope you all are having a wonderful day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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