Understanding the Importance of Online Reputation Management
“What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
William Shakespeare’s words have remained immortal and gave the world a reason to reject the obsession of instituting a name. The world in Romeo and Juliet was of No Internet and No Social Media. Now, we are cushion-trapped between so many internet agents that we seldom feel the courage to deny their supremacy. The surrender to them isn’t the choice we recommend, but negligence isn’t endorsed either.
There is something in the name when it comes to career planning and planting yourself as a suitable candidate for a good profile. When a company hires you, they do not hire you for the present position alone, the future is very much in their mind. The behaviour patterns, relationships and professional associations are all those factors that influence our working life to a large extent. It is known to the HR Professionals as well. Companies need to know us and the interviews that were ‘prohibited zones’ are now wide open to everyone. Casual approaches have got into the selection process giving ease to the aspirants. Employers just want to know the person they are hiring for important jobs. To know someone, their Social Media and Professional Associations over the Web play a vital role. Any employer who does a background check ensures that they check your social media as well.
We have seen companies firing people just because they were found irresponsible on social media. That might be termed as a personal zone of your life but the companies aren't paying for a limited part of yours which denies them any concern about how your mind is working. Online Reputation Management is as important for a layman as it is important for a president of the USA or the PM of India. It is identically important for an aspiring executive as it is for a would-be CEO.
While we highlight the importance and suggest some ways to Strengthen your OR (Online Reputation, we wish to share the following observations:
A survey by Career Builder says that "3 in 10 employers have someone dedicated to solely getting the scoop on your online persona." What works when an employer takes a look at your social profile? How much role does the ORM play?
- Candidate’s background information supported their professional qualifications (38 percent)
- Great Communication Skills (37 percent)
- A professional image (36 percent)
- Creativity (35 percent)
- Fifty-seven percent of employers are less likely to call someone in if the candidate is a ghost online.
Online Reputation Management does get you a job alone, it helps you in getting viewed by the employers for promotions and opens to them your new skill-sets. You develop public relations and prospective employers reach you via this mode thereafter. Hunting for a job gets transformed into choosing a job and then finding ways to convince them. The connections that you develop, e.g. on LinkedIn, give you enough opportunities to explore and encash.
This above seems to be a scenario of in-job people. Let’s see how the Students in HigherEd can plan a better ORM and therefore use their profile to reach their prospective employers. It is also suggested that the ORM should start from the day one gets into IX grade and should be made familiar with what Internet Maturity and Social Media Smartness is. A student in a graduation course needs to understand the following things before the efforts to establish an impressive Online Reputation are initiated:
- ORM isn’t a tough thing and is not a taboo anymore.
- Anyone willing to succeed in the professional domain has to have an Impressive OR.
- Do be afraid of the fact that the prospective employers are spying on you, this is what you will also do while you select a trustworthy employer.
- Your Social Media connections and the ‘STREAM’ of your posts will speak for you, the way you want to ‘sell’ yourself.
- Employers feel impressed when a resume comes with links to Professional and Social Media, as it shows them the confidence of the candidate.
- You cannot plant everything on the Facebook or LinkedIn timeline within a day and showcase it as a 5-year journey. Hence, your effort should be active each day.
- It is possible that before you reach the Interviewers, your Online Avatar has reached and has done the unwanted or the exactly accurate thing for you.
- There are companies that are managing the Online Reputation and have been providing professional assistance to develop an Impressive Online Presence to impress upon the employers.
- It plays a vital role when you try the study abroad options. Foreign universities would appreciate your virtual image management skills.
Engagement with the employers through your Virtual Reputation enhances the chances that the employer might prefer you over others; even before the advertisement goes public. Public Relationship Management is still the key to grab good deals. Going the ethical and planned way, you can make it happen. With a sincere and strategically curated profile on leading social media platforms and on professional platforms as well, your resume stands healthy chances of getting a call for a Personal Interview (PI).
There is nothing in a name alone. But when the name is written on the top of a Resume or at the bottom of a job application, there is much to it- To be Strengthened and Defended! Do not prepare yourself for failure by not preparing well for your Online Reputation. Do remember that you do not get a second chance to make a first impression.
Your career is unpredictable; your preparations shouldn’t be!
About The Author
Parveen Kumar Sharma is a Mentor - Online Communities with Shiksha since its inception. He has been one of the top contributors in the Mass Communication and Journalism domain. Being a Teacher, he believes in empowering the students not just with academic excellence but 21st Century Skills as well. With more than a decade of experience, he contributes to Employability Enhancement and Communication Skills of students. He is a blogger, poet, public speaker and EdTech Evangelist.
