Talk About WorkTalk About Work: http://work.talkaboutlocal.org

The benefits of an online profile

Why create any sort of online profile for yourself?

- You can create profiles that project what you want to be known about you.

- To socialize, stay in touch with friends and family.

- To build a useful online network of contacts and become more widely known for what you can do.

- To demonstrate as well as state your skills.

Shout about yourself – people can't know about you until you tell them! Market yourself. [Photo by Claumoho]

Show yourself in the best lightYour online profiles are spaces you control – use them to tell people what you want to be known for.

Socialize, share knowledge and increase potential for opportunitiesBecause it's nice to keep in touch, many heads are often better than one and you never know who might know what!!

By talking about yourself online in an appropriate way you are showing off your web skills and demonstrating an awareness of how to use the internet well.

Volunteering Nuneaton and B31 Voices on Facebook.

Newcastle Bookbinders

You are also demonstrating other skills such as writing or a particular trade/skill you are focusing on.

BAKE – Facebook page for two cake bakers trading from home.Birmingham Hula Hoopers group created by freelance fitness instructor.

You can also show this with a Facebook page or group and share it amongst your networks.

Things to think about with an online profileJust as with crossing the road, there are some risks to posting online. It's how you manage that risk that's important.

[Photo by Massimiliano]

Do you want a potential employer to read that?What you say online is more permanent than what you say down the pub.

[Photo by Garrett Coakley]

Check your account settings on personal profilesLook at your profiles whilst logged out or view them as a 'non-friend' would see them. Tighten the privacy settings to restrict access if you want to.

[Photo by Ell Brown]

Are you being tagged in photos?Or are friends writing on your Facebook wall or elsewhere online? Untag/delete content if you can, request others to alter/delete content about you that you're unhappy with.

[Photo by Davi Ozolin]

What's your current online profile?

- Try doing a Google search for yourself. What comes up? What might a potential employer think of the content?

- Do you have a Facebook profile? Go to your profile and click 'View as...' to see what the public can view about you. - Use the resources at work.talkaboutlocal.org to help you market yourself effectively online, build useful networks and protect yourself from employers' inappropriate online searching for your information.

Further support:Nicky Getgood – nicky@talkaboutlocal.org Karen Strunks – karen@talkaboutlocal.org

http://work.talkaboutlocal.org

Tel. 0121 288 2910