Saturday, November 15, 2014

Digital Dirt: How to Manage Your Online Reputation by Jaclyn Jarmulowicz


I thought that I had met Jaclyn before (in a WIN seminar) and she had impressed me, so I was pleased when she walked in the door last Wednesday night.  Jaclyn Jarmulowicz is a young, pretty, energetic woman who works for Employment and Training Resources, currently assigned to the Youth Team in Lowell.

Digital Dirt, covering many different types of social networking, is a huge topic.  We started with class introductions; there were more than 15 of us and we were a very diverse group.  Some of us are ‘in transition’ and some are still working but looking for better situations; some attendees were anxious to learn about social networking for their job search or for their volunteer work.

In her introduction, Jaclyn shared some interesting statistics.  Do you know that if Facebook was a country its population would be the third highest in the world?  That’s right – China, then India, then Facebook!  Social media is here to stay.  We’ve got to Take Control:  Come to Terms With It, Learn It, Own It, Address It, Brand It.

We were led through a quick discussion of various websites that we can use in a job search or for our own enjoyment:

Facebook – Use this site to fight age bias; prove to future employers that you know what you’re doing in this technological world!  Use this site for networking; find friends or friends of friends who can give you insight to a company you are considering.  You can also set up a Facebook page for your small business or for a worthy cause that you are supporting.

Branch Out – This is a service just recently bought by Facebook to search out job opportunities.  Log in through your Facebook account.

Twitter – This is a website used by high-paced professional workers to filter information, to have control of information you receive, and to be the first to get breaking news.  ‘Twitter is a great source of information.’

Instagram – Show your creative side and use this website to share photos and videos (with captions).  It’s the perfect tool to create a portfolio of your work, to use to raise awareness for a cause or to do fundraising.

Google Alert – You can do a Google Alert on yourself or on any companies that you are interested in.  (Go to google.com/alerts)

PIPL.com – This website will help you to pull public records information – anything that your name is attached to that is open to the public to view.  Use PIPL to keep track of topics that could impact your career.

LinkedIn – This is the #1 candidate sourcing tool used by recruiters.  The website lists what you did and when you did it.  Some hints:

Be sure your current job is listed in the current section; many recruiters don’t look further than this. 

If you’re unemployed, call yourself ‘In Transition,’ (ex.  I’m a Customer Service Rep/ Physical Therapist/ Software Engineer in Transition). 

In LinkedIn, it’s all about the buzz words.  Read other people’s job descriptions to get some hints on updated language to use.

Try to get lots of referrals and recommendations on your page.

Lastly, include a photo!!!  Recruiters call sites without photos ‘incomplete.’  And no selfies!!  Get someone to take a clear picture of you against a solid background when your clothes and hair look stylish.

Jaclyn shared some thoughts on ‘Best Practices’ when posting on any social media.  Don’t put in any comments on politics, religion, or race.  People reading your comments could pre-judge you, and not read further. 


Last words – ‘A job search can be overwhelming and confusing.’  Do use the one-stop centers as a job-hunting source. Got to ETRCC.com.  Thanks, Jaclyn, for some great advice.

Posted by Linda Wagner, WIN Participant

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