This is how online branding can make or break your career

As social networking sites grow increasingly pervasive, Singapore professionals are beginning to realise that online branding is critical and could impact one’s career.

Social networking sites used to be for casual socialising but more and more employers use it as tool to source and find out about prospective employees.

According to a recent web poll conducted by Robert Walters, about 74% of Chinese respondents agree that it is critical to maintain a professional image online, particularly on personal social networking sites. Companies we have spoken to also agree that they frequently use it as tool to gauge a candidate’s or employee’s professionalism and if their images are reflected appropriately online.

Not only that, some employers also use it to monitor their employees’ comments, in case they are talking negatively about their current company online. There was a recent case in US where a job seeker went for an interview and was asked for his social networking site’s username and password by the interviewer.

Although this is an invasion of privacy, some job seekers still cannot say no. This shows how social networking sites are growing to be an inevitable part of the job seeking process and how common it is for employers to use it to find out information about a job seeker that one wouldn’t normally see on a CV.

So how do you keep a professional image online? Here are some easy steps:

Build your own branding. Create a profile on professional networking sites such as Linkedin. This is so that when anyone tries to search for you on the Internet, the best relevant result of you shows up.

Do not mix business and personal. Remember that your profile is easily available online. If you have content that you wish to keep only for family and friends, you need to make sure of your privacy settings. Another option is to create an alternative profile specifically for colleagues and employers.

Do not post negative comments. Again, your personal opinion and comments you post online are essentially a permanent record. If you are unhappy about your boss or the company you are working for, and must vent, it’s best you leave those to after work and over a drink with your family or friends. Everything you post online can eventually be used against you in the future.

Keep inappropriate photos to yourself. Keep last night's part photos pricate. You should know by now that nothing is really personal online and can spread out very quickly. Pictures of you drunk or with inappropriate hand signs should be kept hidden in your private folders and not for all to see.

If prospective employers were to do search on you and come across such pictures, it could easily jeopardise your employment opportunities.

Limit your posts during working hours. Many employers log in to social networking sites during working hours to check on their employees’ updates. You might think that they don’t, but in actual fact, they constantly do it to see how often as well as what their employees post.

Regular updates during business hours can create the impression that you spend more time on social networking sites than working. Keep in mind that a professional image online is now as important as a physical one.

What you say or do online can be directly reflected to who you are in the real world. Not everything is private or personal online and it is your responsibility to ensure your online presence is portrayed positively.