AGCAREERS.COM FOOD & AGRICULTURE CAREER GUIDE 36 your thoughts, purpose, and desired outcome. This purposeful thoughtfulness will reflect well on LinkedIn and show others you are a community-minded person with intellectual thoughts. You can be more thoughtful and confident about your posting habits by asking yourself the following before hitting the share button: • Is my purpose for this post to be helpful or to express gratitude? • Is this post highlighting myself and how I want to be portrayed? • Would I be okay with my future boss or coworkers seeing this post? If you are looking to build your social network, ensure that you post regularly. Use current and appropriate hashtags so that people can find your content. If you are at an event, follow those hashtags, comment on the event posts, and connect with others who are also engaging with those posts. Building a professional network expands beyond your current reach, so keep looking for your next connection. Be approachable online and welcome others to share their thoughts. New connections bring new ideas. This is a two-way street; with the mindset that you need to help more than you may receive, people will be more inclined to help you when you ask. Sometimes, a new connection may lead you to your next client or supplier, or better still, give them one. Keep your negative comments offline and private from new connections (you don’t know everyone they do). Lastly, remember that even your best friends were strangers once, so you need to comment, share, and work on professional relationships. Everyone was fresh out of school once as well. When you participate in a webinar or Teams call, having your camera on reflects that you are present and respect the time of the people you meet. It lets you show off your ability to meet them ‘face to face’ digitally, which is crucial when working for a company with remote workers or if you have coworkers globally. This is a fantastic way to connect with others by using and reading body language. You can also show others that you are ‘present’ by wearing appropriate office clothing, being groomed nicely, and having full attention on the call, not on your phone or chatting on the other screen. Do you ever think about how others see your appearance or background? Often, people take in our surroundings when our cameras are on. It is common to have a privacy screen, blank wall, or blur your background when your camera is on. It is nice to keep others focused and for your privacy as well. Besides having social media profiles, building a positive personal website is a terrific way to highlight your skills, accomplishments, and personal brand. Here are some tips to help you create a professional and positive online presence through your personal website: Finally, another habit you may want to develop is auditing your digital presence. Google yourself and check your earlier online posts. Do they still align with how you want to present yourself online? It is okay to remove posts that no longer serve your intentions or ask someone else to remove a post you are tagged in. You may have been focusing on a specific area of your life but now have new goals and purpose. Removing old posts that could harm your career, new friendships, and even strangers is the right thing to do. Maintaining a digital presence that is accurate and true to who you are is exhibiting intention and could be the key to landing your dream job. AG Choose a Professional Domain Name, and select something that is rememberable and recognizable. Opt for a .com domain, which is more reputable and professional. Use visuals such as images, infographics, or portfolio items to represent your achievements visually. Keep your website simple and professional. Include testimonials, measurables, and positive work outcomes in your portfolio. Your bio should be friendly, concise, and compelling, highlighting your skills, experiences, and career goals. Building a professional network expands beyond your current reach, so keep looking for your next connection. “
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQyMDk=