<em>Originally posted on LeadSwag, co-Authored by <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Ron_Marshall" target="_blank">Ron_Marshall</a>.</em>

In today’s job market, one must be seen in order to be heard. The most consistent, reputation-building method to be seen is by using social media. The <strong>FLinT</strong> (<a href="http://facebook.com/"><strong>F</strong>acebook</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com"><strong>Lin</strong>kedIn</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com/heatherecoleman"><strong>T</strong>witter</a>) media stack and other current media platforms like Quora and YouTube are used to perpetuate one’s <strong>personal </strong><strong>brand</strong>. Personal brand (or one’s career identity) is the <em>you</em> that people view.  You can’t fake authenticity.

An online presence is critical to a successful job search. You must be present in order to be found, and you must be actively engaged within your niche to network toward the position you seek! It’s about your collaboration, the value you add, your ability to promote other people and businesses, and the information you share.

While you may have set your Facebook profile to “private,” the truth is that your interaction on the pages of your friends and business pages is <em>public</em>. A friend of a friend may be searching for a candidate and how you handle yourself may get you recruited – or disregarded. Your behavior is the best indicator of your personality and professionalism. Think about your purpose before you post. Remember that your online activity represents who you are – and whether or not you are a good fit for a company.

A recent CareerBuilder survey found that <strong>45%</strong> of <strong>employers</strong> are utilizing <strong>social media</strong> to find <strong>job candidates</strong>. And the number is rising at a rapid rate.

<strong>Why Employers Disregarded Candidates After Online Screening</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53%</li>
	<li>Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 44%</li>
	<li>Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35%</li>
	<li>Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29%</li>
	<li>Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26%</li>
	<li>Candidate lied about qualifications – 24%</li>
	<li>Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20%</li>
</ul>
Conversely, when you are actively engaged with your Facebook friends and professional colleagues in a manner that is positive, productive andsupportive you are showing yourself to be the type of team leader for which organizations are searching. When you promote your community and share information that is pertinent to your social media friends and colleagues, you become a valuable resource and potential employee!

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<strong>Why Employers Hired Candidates After Online Screening</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – 50%</li>
	<li>Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications – 39%</li>
	<li>Candidate was creative – 38%</li>
	<li>Candidate showed solid communication skills – 35%</li>
	<li>Candidate was well-rounded – 33%</li>
	<li>Other people posted good references about the candidate – 19%</li>
	<li>Candidate received awards and accolades – 15%</li>
</ul>
(Source: <a href="http://www.thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/">www.thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com</a>)

We know ourselves from the inside. Others – including employers, business partners, and customers – know us by the things we say, what we do, and <strong>how we behave</strong> toward people. Social media, especially FLinT, gives us tools to take charge of our positions in <strong>The Conversation</strong> and build our career reputations – by literally, actively showing our work.

What do you do? Is it visual? Then you can show it in <strong>Facebook</strong> photos and blog content. Can you answer questions about it with authority? Then you ought to show that in <strong>LinkedIn Answers</strong>and <strong>Quora</strong>. Can you talk about it in an extended dialogue with someone? Can you collaborate with others in your particular niche? Start the relationship building on <strong>Twitter</strong>. Can you write about it? Then it may pay to have a <strong>WordPress</strong> blog. Can you instruct people in some task that would be useful to them based on your experience? Let’s see it on the world’s second-largest search engine: <strong>YouTube</strong>.

We  have seen social media evolve as a game-changing suite of platforms to spread your personal marketing messages – and we’ve seen these platforms make real, demonstrable, positive change in people’s career lives.

<em>If you’re not there, you’re invisible</em>. <strong>Be visible.</strong>

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