Go to Dad for some fatherly advice

For the college senior getting to head back to campus this fall for their final days of academia, the thoughts of going out into the job world can be quite frightening.

Layoffs, a national unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, and many employers holding the line on hiring.

So, how can you as a graduate-to-be make yourself stand out from the crowd come next spring?

If you only learned one thing from your dad after all these years, make sure it was how to present yourself to others. In this case, those who will decide whether or not to hire you by next year at this time.

As many men know from running small businesses (and women too far that matter), your company’s reputation goes a long way in determining whether or not your business will be successful, just break even, or be putting up the “out of business” sign sooner rather than later.

Would Your Online Reputation Get You an A+?

Given that the Internet plays a much larger role in the hiring process these days, it is important for those preparing to enter the workforce have a nearly spotless online reputation. Today’s world has many sites where an employer can simply go here for an online reputation snapshot of the individual they are considering hiring. As a result, is your image clean?

In the event you cannot say with certainty that your online image is as nice as you would like it, take these steps into consideration:

1. Do a Google search of your name

When you do this, you may be quite shocked with the results. A few bad decisions in the past may have found their way online, i.e. any arrest records, lawsuits, etc. In the event you do not know what to look for, there are companies out there that will do the searching for you. If you think that potential employers are not looking into prospective employees these days, think again;

2. Address questionable comments on social media sites

As your father probably told

you at one time or another, if you do not have something good to say about someone, it is probably best not to say anything about them. The same holds true with your Facebook, Twitter and any other social media accounts you may have. While your comment may have seemed innocent at the time, it could be deemed as racist, demeaning and many other things. An employer is less likely to hire you if they feel you will be a high maintenance employee and/or potentially rock the boat at work;

3. Remove inappropriate photos

This is another gaffe that can lead to much trouble for potential job applicants. Those photos from the Saturday night fraternity bash again may seem innocent to you, but a potential employer may raise their eyebrows over them. Especially given the politically correct world that many live in today, it just takes one negative photo to potentially cost you that job;

4. Promote your academic/work highlights online

There is a good chance you have some academic highlights during your time in college and/or have some work experience too. One or both of those things need to be highlighted in your online portfolio. It is always a good idea to have a separate professional account like on LinkedIn and a personal account such as Facebook or Twitter. Make sure that potential employers see the LinkedIn portfolio you have to put together, as that should be where your emphasis goes;

5. Create and promote an online blog

– Just as companies do to promote their brands, having an online blog is a great way to tell potential employers about what you can offer them. Whether it discusses your college studies, work experiences to now like work-study programs and internships, blog about your talents. If you decide to blog, make sure you update it regularly so that it gains traction among the search engines, allowing you to stand out in a brighter light.

With more and more employers turning to online options in placing ads and hiring, take a little advice from your dad.

Study hard, get good grades, work hard, and keep your reputation clean

Photo credit: publicagenda.org