As early as five years ago, it used to be that the conventional wisdom of the career transitioner was that physical networking in the form of professional organizations and career fairs was the call of the day. Also, the tried-and-true resume was always the preferred form of communication to prospective employers.
Fast-forward to 2008, the rules have changed.
The advent of social networking and the increasing ease of use of online media has given career transitioners some new avenues to both research their new field, as well as draw attention to themselves in a tight job market. Here are some examples of the countless new technologies that can be used.
LinkedIn – Standing head and shoulders above the rest as the king of business networking, LinkedIn provides the best in gathering information on career fields and also gives job seekers a way to both emphasize their strong points and interact with their colleagues. Job listings are also available as well.
Naymz – In Part 2, I will talk a little more about protecting your online reputation. However, with Naymz, you can work on building it up by inviting networking contacts and serving as references. The higher your Naymz reputation goes, the more benefits you will received, including your own .NAME domain.
VisualCV – One of the new kids on the block, VisualCV’s capabilities far outstrip that of LinkedIn’s online profile by allowing users to add not only traditional elements of your resume, but online resources such as blog entries, Web projects, audio, video and anything else you can think of. It’s also got the stamp of approval of entrepreneurial guru Guy Kawasaki, who is a part of their Advisory Board, so you know it’s going places.