Your online presence and your career
Sharing aspects of ourselves online is part of daily life for many. This leaves a ‘digital footprint’ and has the potential to work both for and against us. Here we look at how to be aware of how much you’re sharing online and how having an online presence and using social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, can be helpful in your career planning and development.
Social media and your digital footprint
Using social media is part of many people's daily routines. It entertains, connects, informs and inspires, but have you considered how your 'digital footprint' could impact your career?
Your digital footprint is everything on the internet that is about you. This could include:
- a profile on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or LinkedIn
- photographs that you, your friends or family have posted online
- anything you have written or that has been written about you, for instance on discussion boards, blogs, or in articles.
Your online presence has the potential to work both for and against you. An online profile that includes your CV, for example, on a professional networking site such as LinkedIn, can expand your range of contacts and help you find a new job. Equally, employees have landed themselves in difficulty by breaching their employer’s social media policies and some recruiters undertake screening of potential candidates based on what they can find online.
You should review your settings regularly so you understand how much you are sharing and who you’re sharing with. As a rule, the less you can share publicly, the better. The free OpenLearn interactive Is your social media use impacting your future? will help you assess your current social media sharing risk level.
Using social media for career development
You can use social media positively for your career in several ways. For example, to showcase your personal brand (your skills, experience and interests), make and develop new contacts, stay up to date with industry news, learn about new opportunities by following employers and organisations, or use it to build your business. Employers in some sectors, for example, advertising, digital marketing, public relations and the media, may even look for examples of your online creativity on blogs, profiles or videos.
Using LinkedIn for career development
What makes LinkedIn different from other social media platforms is its focus on professionals, making it the largest professional networking platform worldwide. LinkedIn can be useful in your career development in other ways, from having an online space to record your achievements to applying for your next role.
We’ve developed information and advice in three key areas to help you get started and utilise LinkedIn’s main features.
You can also search the huge amount of content users share to find out how to develop in your current role, move into a new sector or keep up to date with labour market information. Don’t forget to use the Open University Alumni tab to see what alumni in your field have accomplished and what may be possible for you.
