Networking

This week’s readings were concentrated on building one’s reputation as a writer and creating a network of contacts.  The electronic age has entirely changed the way things are done in the world of professional exposure and networking.  It has become all but necessary for one to maintain a strong professional online presence, and use online professional networking sites to their advantage.  While I have always considered one’s online presence important, I have not gone tremendously out of my way to create a professional online personality for myself.  I have always considered making a Linked In profile, but I suppose I just never quite got around to it.  After reading through these articles and considering the point I’m at in my career, I knew that it was time for me to start networking and focusing on branding myself.  The articles touch on strategies for ensuring one’s desired content appears higher on search engine results, and that online content is always kept interesting and up to date.  Though Linked In is still the primary source for professional networking, employers still take Facebook and Twitter into consideration, two networking sites that I have been neglecting for quite some time.  I am about to graduate, and this is the time that I need to be building my online presence and branding myself as a professional.  Marketing oneself is often the difference between landing a job and not.