10 Steps to Effective Networking Online

Online Networking
Bangkok. Thailand. March 1,2019 Facebook social media app logo on log-in, sign-up registration page on mobile app screen on iPhone smart devices in business person's hand at work

Sometimes networking online can be crucial to gaining the job that you want. Follow these steps to ensure you get in touch with the millions of potential employers looking for people like you to employ.

  1. Join social media groups and sites, such as LinkedIn and Facebook. These websites have tons of groups, specifically created for networking online where like minded people share possible employment opportunities.
  2. Ensure all of your social media profiles are clean and professional looking. Having a million pictures of you dribbling on yourself after a heavy night may just put potential employers off. Make sure that any pictures or information you have on-line is either removed, or hidden from the public using the built in security features of each platform.
  3. Join professional groups on social media sites and get involved in current conversations. Get your name out there and noticed. Join in with conversations related to your speciality. Put yourself across as a subject matter expert in your relative field, but don’t ever lie. Ensure you speak with knowledge and honesty. 
  4. Be professional and courteous when commenting within professional networking groups. People tend to forget this one time and time again. Remember, any potential employer can see your comments, make use of that to show your intelligence and experience.
  5. Use spell check and proof read any comments you make.  Joining in on a conversation about the latest threat to security is a great way to get your name out there. However, if you do so, with poor grammar, bad spelling, and choose to use unorthodox language, such as text speak, you could cause detriment to your professional image.
  1. Make contacts when appropriate and stay in touch. Make sure you approach and get in touch with helpful professionals when the time is appropriate. Don’t just send random people messages, ensure that you have a purpose, and something you can offer when getting in touch with them. And when you have made that contact, keep in touch with them from time time. There is no point making the effort with networking, only to waste all that effort by subsequently ignoring your new contacts.
  2. Ask for endorsement. On social media sites like LinkedIn you can ask your contacts for endorsement of your services. Make sure you ask those that you work for, or with, and don’t ask people to endorse you that you don’t know, as this can be seen as unprofessional. And I would advise against endorsing anyone who you have no experience of working with either. It detracts and devalues the whole process.
  3. OPSEC. Always remember your operational security when working on a task. Do not post pictures of yourself with your latest client, or anything that may compromise security in the future, such as CCTV camera placements. Quite often on social media, security operatives with a lack of consideration for OPSEC have posted pictures of themselves at work, with their CCTV monitoring station in the background. To the uninitiated this may seem like nothing of concern, but to those that are interested, this can provide a lot of information.
  4. PERSEC. Personal Security and it’s maintenance is also a key part to effectively networking online. Never publish information that may compromise your own safety and security, or that of those around you.
  5. Be Honest. Liars always get caught out in one way or another. Far too often do people use the internet to portray a lifestyle that they do not live, some for fun, some because they want to be liked. In the security industry, all this does is show a lack of integrity. Don’t do it. You will eventually get caught, and you will damage your reputation.

 Related Articles: 10 Common CV Mistakes.

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