PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Expand Your Network, PART 2 Build Relationships
Build Awareness Build Success — Online BY CORINNE LUTTER Member & Internal Communications Coordinator
Editor’s note: In the last issue of The PEG , we looked at the value of face-to-face networking for your career. In this follow-up article, we’ll examine strategies for successful social media networking Thanks to the growth of social media, it’s never been easier to network. While there are many online networking sites to choose from, LinkedIn leads the way. With 364 million users and counting, it’s the world’s largest professional networking website. If you’re one of the 11 million Canadians who have signed up, are you using the site effectively? If you haven’t signed up, what are you waiting for? “Create a profile, even if you’re not actively searching for work, because you never know what opportunity might arise,”
says Julie Barron, an Edmonton-based recruiter with Davies Park, an executive search firm. Having a strong online presence can lead recruiters and potential contacts straight to you, opening the door to career and business opportunities. A bad online presence can scare them away. “If you have a well-developed LinkedIn profile and have taken the time to network — both online and offline — recruiters will find you,” notes Jennifer Miller, with Calgary-based Professional Edge Resumes, an APEGA group benefit provider. She enhances resumes for clients and also helps them optimize their LinkedIn profiles. “Having a well-written LinkedIn profile is one of the best things you can do to improve your job search. Look at other
40 | PEG SUMMER 2015
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