If you’re job searching, hiring managers and recruiters are probably searching for you online. And if your online presence consists of nothing or photos from a 2008 family reunion, you’re missing the boat.
“It shows you didn’t get the memo,” says Phyllis Mufson, a Sarasota, Florida-based career coach. A 2013 Jobvite survey of 1,600 recruiting and human resources professionals found the percentage of recruiters using or planning to use social media for their scouting at 94 — 94! — percent. While being judged based on your online persona may seem unnerving, the practice can actually be helpful to job seekers. A June CareerBuilder survey found that employers often liked what they saw on candidates’ profiles.
Nearly half of the 2,000-plus hiring managers and human resources professionals surveyed said they hired a candidate because they got a good sense of his or her personality via social media and could see the person being a good fit with the company culture. Many of those surveyed were also impressed by candidates’ professional images, communication skills and wide ranges of interest.
For baby boomers and older job seekers, an online presence can be doubly important. “Most boomers in the job search are concerned about age bias on the part of employers,” says Mufson, referring to the assumption that older workers lack technology know-how. “Being active in social media is one of the ways you can immediately signal to employers that you’re not those people — you’re going to create the impression that you’re up on what’s happening, you’re keeping up on trends and you’re technologically adept.”
[Read: Quick and Simple Tips for Baby Boomers on the Job Hunt .]
Appearing to be “technologically adept” doesn’t have to be an overwhelming pursuit for those new to the digital world. “One of the reasons a lot of people avoid getting involved in social media is because they feel like they have to do it all,” Mufson says. But that’s not the case. Mufson advises beginners to take it slow with the five steps below:
1. Google yourself. Open a new browser window or tab in “incognito” mode, and Google your name. What do you see? If personal Facebook photos crop up, that’s an indicator you should tighten your privacy settings on the social network. If someone else with your name is hogging the whole search page with his or her websites and profiles, Mufson suggests adding a middle initial or a maiden name to yours when creating new profiles. This way, you’ll be more easily found and less likely to be confused with other people with the same name.
2. Build your LinkedIn profile. In the Jobvite survey, 96 percent of recruiters said they search for candidates on LinkedIn, 94 percent said they contact candidates on LinkedIn and 92 percent said they vet candidates on LinkedIn before setting up interviews. As Mufson sums it up: “It’s the big kahuna” of job search. While Twitter and other platforms certainly matter, she suggests beginners “build a home base on LinkedIn” first. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s thorough articles, videos and new user guides to get started, she says.
Mufson also stresses the importance of filling out the profile until it’s 100 percent complete, which you can track on the bar graph on the right-hand side of your profile page. A complete profile means you should add a profile photo, too. She points out that some older candidates are wary of posting a photo for fear it’ll result in age bias. Her point: Your age will come out sooner or later. “If you are frank about who you are, where you are and your age, the people who are going to contact you are already OK with it,” she says. While career experts vary on their profile photo advice, Mufson suggests using a headshot for LinkedIn. The look you’re going for? “Approachable and confident,” she says.
[See: 16 Things You’re Doing All Wrong on LinkedIn.]
3. Create a Google Plus account. This process takes a matter of minutes if you simply start at plus.google.com and transfer the profile information you’ve already set up on LinkedIn. Later, you can experiment with connecting with others and posting. For now, however, simply having a filled-out profile is one more way to build your online presence and tell recruiters and hiring managers you know what you’re doing.
4. Start commenting and reviewing. Another way to get your name and personal brand out there is to comment on top blogs in your industry, Mufson says, adding to sign with your full name and professional title. “It’s an opportunity where you can write something knowledgeable and show you understand who the experts are in your field,” she says. Do the same while reviewing books in your field on Amazon.
5. Set up a Google alert. Go to google.com/alert, and set up notifications for when your name appears on the Web, Mufson suggests. That way, you’ll know immediately if something has “gone awry,” she says, like the rare occasion that one of your new accounts gets hacked.
[Read: 10 Reasons Job Seekers Should Embrace Social Media .]
These five steps comprise only a byte-size portion of what job seekers can do to leverage their online presence. LinkedIn alone offers a goldmine of opportunities, and hopefully once your profile is complete, you’ll be eager to explore other websites like Twitter. As Mufson puts it: “There’s no end to what you can do online.”
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5 Ways Baby Boomer Job Seekers Can Build an Online Presence originally appeared on usnews.com
