LinkedIn and Branding: Get to Know Yourself....In a Professional Manner

Source

       Have you been looking for a social network site dedicated to professionalism and careers? Unless you have been living under a rock or in an uninhabited island with Tom Hanks and his buddy Wilson, you may know the website, LinkedIn. LinkedIn has emerged as one of the top networking websites today with about more than 175 million members from all over the world. If LinkedIn were to be a person, it would be like Facebook’s older brother except it dresses up and does not tag its fellow viewers with that “Look at me being silly” moment picture.

I see LinkedIn as a mobile resume, where you get to express to the public your strengths and goals as a way of marketing yourself. There is so much you can do other than just finishing your profile and hoping you get noticed by your ideal employers. You can join or start groups, follow news that are related to your career goals, and stay connected to people that have similar interests as you. I admit when I first made my LinkedIn account, I did not really bother to fill up my profile or have a profile picture. If anything it looked like a ghost profile with nothing important or impressive to display. It might as well have scared some potential employers in thinking I was not the right man for the job with the lack of information shown on my profile. I am changing that attitude and trying to sell myself for potential internships in the near future.

Unlike Facebook, you should not put down everything that you would not mind leaving public for everyone to see. Having a picture of you and your friends pillow jousting might sound appealing to other people, but can be deemed unprofessional and immature to companies and businesses if you decide to put that as your profile picture. Be wary about what you put down as your interests as well. As much as you love watching the hit TV show, “Breaking Bad” or going online shopping on Sunday afternoons, LinkedIn is perhaps not the place to display such hobbies. Instead, put down interests that are related to your skills as a professional or help appeal to other businesses that you stand out from the rest of the candidates. Also have a decent profile picture with a simple background in the back. No need to dress up like James Bond or the Queen of England, but at least something that you would wear at a real interview. Also remember to smile in your profile picture. If you look like a grouch, there is a good chance that unless you display skills that only a few have shown, no company would hire you because they think you would offer negative feedback to the company and/or its employees.

            The one crucial thing about maintaining a LinkedIn profile is to keep updating it with any new information or skills earned. It is one thing if you are a young computer scientist that learned the basics of Java programming and another thing when in five years later you have learned only the basics of Java programming. Another thing is to stay connected with other people in the same career field. The more people you stay connected with, the better the chances are that you get noticed or they help you get noticed. Remember LinkedIn is suppose to help you get a job, not be detrimental unless you truly do not put the time and effort in selling yourself as a brand. Be professional, be active, and stay in front of the competition. 

QR Codes: Identity and Security

Ever gone shopping through a grocery mart or electronic store and happen to find along the lines a picture of this?

        Now you may be wondering what this picture does and why a little note next to its side is telling you to “scan me for more details”.  This is what we call a “quick response” code or QR code. This nifty code is a two dimensional bar-code invented by the Japanese corporation Denso Wave and is being popularized internationally, especially in the United States. QR codes can be found on billboards, posters, products, and business cards. QR codes are different than your typical bar-code that you find on price tags because with the use of a mobile device and a QR code scanner/reader, scanning the QR code can direct your mobile device to a website telling you more information about the product, reviews about the product, promotions, discounts, or a video. One other unique thing about QR codes is that they can be scanned from any angle, which should be good news for anyone that does not want to stand up, kneel down, or pretend to be Spider-man crawling on the ceiling trying to scan a QR code. Go ahead and give it a try by scanning my QR code on this blog page.

        Now that you are informed about the general idea of a QR code, it is now time to tell you about the risks of scanning them. Most of the time, scanning a QR code is harmless, but as this idea becomes popular, so does the potential for hackers or people to set up malicious QR codes that would direct your mobile device to websites that could obtain your personal information. The difficult part is that you are unaware whether a QR code is safe or not just by looking at it because its appearance can be customized and there are so far no obvious signs that a QR code is malicious or not without scanning them first. The best solution for this problem is to never scan a QR code, but what is the fun with that. The alternative solution is to find a QR code scanner that informs which website the code is redirecting you or can verify the website’s reputation before it proceeds to the actual website. For more information about protecting yourself against malicious QR codes, visit this mcAfee website.

So go out there, scan those bar-codes cautiously, and get the answers that your curiosity is looking for. 

Social Networking and security. . .or lack of when promoting your brand.

Social Media taking over the world

Social media has taken over the world, or at least the internet, and is vastly improving to become a useful tool for businesses and its customers. Everywhere you go, you will most likely see at least one person looking at Facebook either on their phone, laptop, tablet, or any other electronic device that can be connected to the internet. What’s not to like about the social media website? You can communicate online with friends and family, be friends with other people, share articles or videos with them, and post that you have beaten your friends’ highest score on a certain gaming application. There are other benefits to Facebook other than for personal needs. Businesses can connect with their clients, set up meetings, or market their products/events to the public to attract more customers or build a greater fan base. We now see many businesses expanding their brand online due to the demand of customers shopping online for convenience and to stay current in the business world.

Social networking can help improve any business that is looking to expand or adapt to the technological change that its customers may be using. Businesses should be cautious though as there are dangers in using social media such as private information being exposed that could lead to expensive lawsuits and damage their credibility, not checking all the security settings, using a simple password, or having employees freely speak about the company without any regards to future consequences. As long as businesses are cautious about what they post and how they secure their site, there should be no danger in building a reputation through online use. As these social media sites become more popular, the risk of losing personal/important information raises as well. It is always better to be aware of the dangers that may occur and be prepared if the worst happens.

Social Media can only protect you as long as the user does their part. Research what information should be public, private, or not be added to the business’ profile page. Be prepared that once your business goes online, every action or post by employees, intentional or unintentional, will affect the business too. Remember to separate personal posts and information that do not relate to your business. Always check and update security settings and keep in touch with your clients as they are the reason why social media will benefit you.