Quick Wins for a Modern, Digital Footprint
Being organized in a job search isn’t just about lists and applications. Being organized also includes how you show up digitally. A clear, modern digital footprint can quietly boost your confidence, especially as you begin thinking about outreach and conversations.
Photo by Marcus Aurelius
This week is about two small updates that help you feel prepared, without drawing unnecessary attention if you’re currently employed: checking that you’re using an appropriate email address for your search and also verifying that your LinkedIn settings are adjusted to best suit your desired privacy and visibility settings.
LinkedIn: Check your Settings
LinkedIn is often a necessary tool as part of one’s job search. But how you use it should reflect your current situation. If you’re working full-time, you may not want to broadcast that you’re exploring new opportunities. Take a moment to check your LinkedIn profile settings and confirm whether your job search activity is:
Visible, or
Not visible to your current employer and broader network
The goal is alignment between your intentions and your settings, so you can move forward with confidence.
Make Sure Your Email Reflects the Present
Next, take a look at the email address you’re using for your job search. Make sure that the email address you include on your resume hyperlinks appropriately. Then, check to make sure that it’s a current email address that you check often.
A few important guidelines:
Avoid outdated providers (for example, older AOL or Earthlink addresses)
Use a personal email address with a professional name, not one tied to your employer
Gmail is widely accepted and commonly used
A clean, current email address may seem small, but it’s one of those details that quietly supports a strong first impression.
This year, Gmail users may also see the option to update their username, with limits on how often changes can be made. Google is rolling out this option and if this becomes available to you, be sure to only trust communications that come directly from Google to make the change. When new tech rollouts like this launch, they can be a ripe time for bad-actors to send malicious spoof emails.
Keep Your Search Separate
One important reminder I see overlooked more often than you might expect:
Do not use your company computer or email for any job-search activity.
That includes:
Notes and documents
Applications and submissions
Personal email correspondence
Job searches and outreach
Keeping your search separate protects you and gives you peace of mind that your search is being conducted as confidentially as possible.
A Gentle Reminder
Job search work isn’t about perfection, this week the work continues surrounding preparation.
You don’t need to tackle everything at once. Choose one update, complete it, and then step away. Small actions like these help you feel more confident as you move into the next phase of your search.
One thing at a time.
You’ve got this. And remember that I’m here to help along the way.