How to Create a Great Online Professional Profile

These days it’s important to create a great online professional profile. Wes Weiler, the Chief Marketing Officer for hiredMYway.com, uses his blog to share 6 Things Your Professional Profile Needs (Weiler, Wes. blog.hiredMYway.com. 2013. February 27, 2013). Following are some of the tips Weiler suggests for making your professional profile top-notch.

Provide Thorough Contact Information: If you’re job searching online, sometimes potential employers contact you directly through job search sites. However, many still prefer to contact candidates by phone or email, so be mindful to complete all available contact fields.

Complete a Video Profile: You may think video profiles are just for those in creative professions, but what better way to sell yourself than “in person”? A video message can convey a lot and gives the potential employer a sneak peak at the real you!

Provide Useful Profile Information: Companies don’t want to hear boring career objectives in your online profile. They’re more interested in finding out what sets you apart from others. Show them why you are the best candidate, and don’t be afraid to mention what you’re passionate about.

Be Selective about Qualifications and Expertise: If you have specific skills or certifications, mention them. Skip over basic computer literacy because it is assumed everyone possesses basic computer skills. However, if you’ve learned a specific software application, mention it.

Organize Your Professional Experience: Instead of listing your job history in chronological order, highlight jobs that show career growth. Under each job, list examples of what challenges you overcame and what problems you solved. Each job should tell a story while citing examples that make you stand out.

Recap Your Complete Education: Be thorough when presenting education and training. If you have achieved special designations within your degree or attended career workshops in addition to your degree, make sure to include these. Just like a pile of paper resumes, potential employers sift through many professional profiles online. Fine tune yours to be the one that stands out.