Professional social networks

Dynamic, on the lookout for new, multilingual, etc.. Shape your online reputation by highlighting your skills through professional social networks.

Twitter, Facebook, MSN, etc.. Social networks are now integral parts of your life. In some "tweets" you get to know people around the world get back or simply connect with friends lost touch. But, you know networking? Like traditional social networks, professional social networks allow you to interact and share information on companies, industries and the trades. They are therefore a clever way to create and expand its address book. In addition, this sphere 2.0 Professional allows you to make a difference on the labor market. It increases, in fact, your visibility on the web while increasing your online reputation to help you land a job.

Build your virtual image
The canvas lists thousands of profiles. With you to play the card of the difference. Like a brand, highlight your personality, your qualities, your projects, etc.. The goal: to build a single virtual identity. A series of questions is needed to clearly define your goals and at the same time know you better. The image conveyed must be consistent with your personality and your values. Once done, then set the media on which you want to connect: blogs, business sites, social networks, articles, etc.. Choose your network, you can better target your future contacts.

List of professional sites:
viadeo.com is a general network.
linkedln.com is oriented towards international profiles.
xing.com is turned towards the German labor market.

Your profile, a real card
Your profile is a "window" of yourself. In a nutshell, recruiters identify your career, your ambitions and if you fit the position sought. A more detailed paper resume, he articulates from your past experiences a true professional project. This page also highlights your interests. Several essential points must be on your profile:

the position you now occupy,
your previous work experiences,
your skills,
your extra-professional activities: hobbies, ambitions, projects,
links to your projects, articles, blogs, website,
your actions: volunteering, charity work, etc..
Also, think carefully about the keywords used. Companies must be able to easily find on the web. In seconds, your profile will appear on Google pages corresponding to it. Example: product manager cosmetics, English, International.

Note, view profiles and invite members to see your page are two free transactions. However, apply to get in touch with members who are not part of your circle of friends, knowing the identity of individuals who visited your page, two things are paying.


Boost your online reputation
Dynamics, listening to others and reagent are the main qualities to highlight. Professional sites offer, in fact, the ability to provide advice to users and receive recommendations. Tools in hand, you glean contacts, participate in discussion groups on specific topics (hubs), maintain your relationships with other members, update your profile, etc.. These steps require time and patience without being paid in the end. Therefore, do not give other media job search. Only 2% of recruitments take place on social networks today.

Note, there is no need to register on multiple networks. Focus primarily on a network, which is consistent with your business goals.

Controlling the flow of information
Controlling the flow of information means to manage your contacts and your image.

Manage your contacts
Colleagues, suppliers, customers, etc.. your first "friends" are part of your entourage. Leading to another, their relations also become yours. You weave, and a network of increasingly broad. More than just contacts, they advise you, you share their tips and help you boost your career or find a new job. A real relationship of trust is therefore essential. The danger: let invade. To avoid this, you have the right to refuse contacts, appointments and even a job.

Manage your virtual image
Every word, critical or embarrassing picture posted on your personal page can play against you with recruiters and break at the same time, your e-reputation. They reach it, in fact, easily to your account. Often self-feed a page on major social networks. Moreover, nothing can be erased or hard on the net. The management of human resources collection, thereby, via the Internet a wealth of information about you without moving. So, beware of inconsistencies between the various information posted on the web and the ones you sent to the company. Only solution: lock access to certain pages of your "characters".

All About Twitter

While MySpace, Facebook and Orkut have already changed the way their users socialize, there is always demand for more. New technologies, simpler applications, ease of use have lead to innovations in the online world. Just when you thought you were accustomed to one social networking site, there's news: Tweeting in your PC.

Social networking sites and blogs are now the fourth most popular online activity and are growing in popularity twice as quickly as traditional online pursuits, such as email and searching. The Nielsen Online research found that 67 per cent of web users visit social networks and blogs, which now account for 10 percent of all time spent on the Internet, reports ctv.ca. The 'in' thing among social networking websites is Twitter.

Twitter - a free social networking and micro-blogging service - enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known all followers.

Jack Dorsey created Twitter in 2006 and its simplicity has made it a rage among Internet users. Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" and the answers being under 140 characters can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web.

Twitter is sometimes described as the "SMS of the Internet". Unlike Orkut and Facebook where you have 'friends', Twitter allows you to follow people whom you want to see updates from. The idea behind other social sites is to connect people that already know one another while the idea behind Twitter is to allow you to connect people that you find interesting, but don't necessarily know. Both have their weighed pros and cons.

How do I get started?

On the www.twitter.com page find a link which reads, 'Get Started - Join'. All you have to do is to enter your full name and email address and choose a user name and a password. If you have accounts with Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or MSN, you can use any of them to find friends who are already using this service. You are also offered a list of famous tweeters you can follow.

You can then start tweeting, by typing in the box on top of the page whatever you want to say. Although you're asked 'What are you doing?' you can post anything you want. Tweets can also be deleted. You can also reply to tweets of people you follow.

How do I follow?

When you create an account, you can search for people by name or user name, import friends from other networks, or invite friends via email. Once you've found your friends, follow them to start getting their updates. Following someone simply means receiving his/her Twitter updates. When you follow someone, every time he/she posts a new message, it will appear in your Twitter home page.

When you sign up for Twitter, you have the option of keeping your account public (the default account setting) or protecting the account to keep your updates private. Protected accounts receive a follow request every time someone wants to follow him/her and only approved followers are able to see the profile page.

While the UK Government has made it official to Tweet for its civil servants, Twitter has a long way to go in India. In the meantime, for all those who like to keep themselves updated and in the loop, Twitter's the way to get you there.