Digital Footprints: Using the Internet to enhance your

career prospects

Judith Baines, Careers ServiceMatt Lingard, Centre for Learning Technology

What are going to cover?

• Keeping up to date with sector news

• Develop your online presence

• On-line networking

Why this is important?

• Researching careers– Peer feedback on recruitment process– Chat to employers re. recruitment process– Improve commercial awareness

• Employers look for you• Promoting yourself• Creative job hunting

KPMG UK Graduate Recruitment

Company Page

KPMG YouTube Channel

Talk to KPMG Staff

KPMG UK & more

Facebook Pages & Groups

Message Boards & Forums

Watch what you write!

• “…BNP [Paribas] does has a track record of messing people up... BNP graduate recruitment is very poorly managed...”

“intern” on NiCube Discussion Forum

Keeping Up To Date• Feeds & News

Readers• Google Alerts (Email)

• Blog Search Tools

Why?• “…everyone’s career will also be understood by

what we say through online communication such as Facebook, email and Twitter… so learn to be digitally articulate and literate…”

Charlie Beckett, POLIS Director, LSE

• “We investigate everyone who applies; if there is no on-line presence at all, we will not invite them to interview...”

Director of Digital Strategies, Racepoint Group UK

AOL Internship Advert

• Good writing skills and sound news judgment. • Candidates - do they have their own blog?

Twitter? Digg and Technorati profiles? Post YouTube videos? Facebook fans?

• How have they used their presence in social networks to advance their life — personally or professionally?

• Someone who lives and breathes social media like MySpace, Bebo, Facebook and Twitter

First Find Your Footprint

Google Yourself!

Then automate it…

Beware your digital footprint!

• Nationale Suisse employee sacked after surfing Facebook while off sick

Reuters, April, 2009

• We won’t hold drunken pictures against you, it helps build up a picture

Director of Digital Strategies, Racepoint Group UK

Protect Your Reputation• Keep it Private • Do you want employers, lecturers,

colleagues to see it?• Check Social Networking Privacy Settings

Taking Advantage

• Build a positive online presence

• Expand your network

Professional Profile

Facebook

• Manage your Profile

• Join employer Groups & Pages

Twitter

• Find People – Employers

• Twitter Search– Keywords

• Friends of…

Comments & Questions

Blogging

Writing Blogs• Free Blogging tools

• Informal Style, Regular Posts, Links

“you should approach blogging with some caution – and be careful not to ruin your career prospects”

Gavin Whenman, Blogger, Diaries of UK Law Students

Creative Approach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKSbNvvgkac

Student online networking

Katie Brunt, 2009 graduate in Advertising & Brand Management, MMU– LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/katiebrunt– Website:

http://sites.google.com/site/katiebruntorg– Blog:

http://www.democracypr.com/wp/index.php – Twitter: http://twitter.com/brunty7

(example courtesy of MMU and Helen Pownall)

Joined up Profile

• Link your sites together• Add your web links to:

– CV– Email signature– Business card

Netiquette

• Be polite; think about your approach• Make connections• Build the relationship over time• Be sincere• Decide on boundaries

Finally…

Links:http://delicious.com/LSECareers/DigitalFootprint/

Questions?