By AJ Ogaard
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. ~ Tony Robbins
A couple of years ago, I didn’t exist—at least on the web.
I had no presence anywhere except on LinkedIn, where it was minimal at best. I almost lost a chance to be involved in a professional project because of my invisibility.
The organization I was about to work with did a quick check on me and found I did not have much more than a basic profile which generically said I was in sales. When the decision-makers saw this they most likely thought that I was not qualified or was going to try to sell them. I learned very quickly that having a presence online is extremely important in building trust and credibility.
It is often very challenging and can be overwhelming to stay up-to-date with the tools of social media. However, some of these tools are extremely important in building personal trust and credibility for your future. You do not have to be a master at it, but you should know how to build a strong foundation for yourself.
Technology now gives you an opportunity to be seen in unparalleled ways. In the past, when you were job-hunting you brought in or sent out a typewritten resume. LinkedIn now often serves as your resume—your foot in the door. Many professionals have stated that they will not do business with someone who does not have a LinkedIn account or any sort of online presence. I have also had people share with me that they are not interested in building a LinkedIn profile or being anywhere else on the web other than on Facebook interacting with friends. Everyone should pull back a moment and think about how these new tools can be used to benefit them personally as well as professionally.
If you’re an employee looking for a job it is in your best interest to have a LinkedIn account to share your own professional background rather than relying on what shows up on search engines (if anything). If you’re a company, you should also have a web presence and reputation that is strong in order to encourage quality people to join your team.
You do not have to be a rockstar or brain surgeon to build your own platform. I am neither one of those, but have still managed to build my presence consistently over the last few years, and will continue to update and learn as things grow and change. I still have a long way to go, but I remind myself that the journey is never over, just evolving.
If someone is going to write or tell my story, it’s going to be me. Why don’t you tell yours?
AJ Ogaard is a marketing pro and business blogger. Visit his blog at www.tbxresource.com or follow him on Twitter @ajogaard.