YOUR LIFE IS A RESUME

I remember buying a book on how to write the perfect resume. Sure, this was back in the day when information came mainly in written form, and recommendations included high quality paper choice and choosing the right type font. Still, nearly every time I go to Kinkos I see people laboring over a paper choice; amazing.

Here is a news alert for you: YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS A RESUME AND YOU HAD BETTER READ IT!

When I was a young salesman, my dad use to tell me that it was important to wear the proper shoes and drive the right car. “They don’t know your family, where you live or who you voted for, but they will evaluate you by your shoes and a car – that’s the ticket.” It should be noted that at eighteen I was driving a brand new Oldsmobile Toronado; red with white leather. I also took a keen interest in Italian shoes way before my time, but that is another story.

We tell our reputationadvocate.com clients that the necessity to put their best foot forward is still essential but it’s a whole new world. “Your best foot” is now electronic and global. It is not primarily anything you have put in print; it’s not even your speaking in the first person. Even without your knowledge, here is what can be found out about you quickly:

Where you live:
The white pages are electronic. Any public social site you have joined is a potential gateway to your address and phone number.

What your house looks like and what it’s worth:
Have you heard of Zillow.com? Virtual appraisals, recent sales, and if your house is currently for sale. How about Google Maps – is your house on an acre lot, one or two stories, do you have a swimming pool, a garage, property taxes?

Who are your neighbors?
Grab an address from Zillow, log in to a reverse append address site and enter the address. See what comes up. Google them. Who are they and what is their resume?

Political giving:
What you have given to political campaigns – contributions by amount, candidate and party.

What you read:
It can be found on Facebook, Anobii, Reddit, Amazon; there are hundreds of book reading sites.

Community involvement:
Memberships, if lists are published. Fraternities, sororities, associations and clubs.

Anyone can find this type of information out quickly with just a little effort. HR directors and headhunters are particularly quick. So if you’ve applied for a job and you don’t get a call back, you may want to take a look at the information they are finding. All of this combines to build an online resume. You can methodically create content or your content will certainly create a perception of you. It’s your choice.

This type of transparency can be both threatening and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Utilizing various websites, blogs and social sites, you can choose to disclose aspects of your life that others will find helpful in evaluating who “you” are. In the same way that you would painstakingly work through a printed resume, lay out a plan for your online content.

Reputationadvocate.com can help you define what information will be presented. Education, community and social activities, interests, travel, family and work history can all add up to build a very positive online “you”. If you have published research for school or work, find a channel to publish it online. Select pictures that present you in the most favorable light possible. Grammar, punctuation and sentence structure – all of the same components used in a written resume –  are needed in building a strong online presence.

And here’s one final thought. Have someone proof for you. While asking for help in proofing a written resume seems logical, most people don’t take it into consideration when they create online content. Since most sites do not have spelling and grammar checking functions, the probability for error is high. Nothing reflects quite as poorly on someone as when important information has errors. Take the time to have someone read the content as soon as it is posted up. Get comments back and then edit and correct errors immediately. Remember, what you post goes “live” to the world once you hit Enter.

-Steven Wyer

Steven C. Wyer is the Managing Director of Reputation Advocate, LLC (reputationadvocate.com) The firm specializes in online reputation repair for both individuals and companies. Steven Wyer can be reached at 888-229-0746.

LINCOLN PENNY ON THE TRAIN TRACKS

I remember as a kid playing around the train tracks. They were a couple of blocks from our home, an easy bike ride. We liked to hide in the train trestles as the trains went by.

You could feel the power, the rumble. You had to respect the size, speed and power of these machines. We knew to never get in the way; there was no second chance. This was proven time and again by the most simple of objects, the penny.

Placing a single penny on the railroad tracks and waiting was as big a thrill as anything a third grader could experience. You could see it from a long way off because of the headlight. You could hear the train coming if you put your ear down on the track. You knew the outcome for the poor little Lincoln head before it ever happened; it was just a matter of time.

The year 2009 has delivered to the mainline consumer social media within the Internet, and things will never be the same. I am convinced that online reputation management is moving at such a speed that the average consumer and small business owner has no idea what is coming. Now for the metaphor. A few people have put their ears to the tracks and heard something. Some have looked up and seen something on the horizon, but they are not sure what it is. Nearly everyone falls into the category of the Lincoln penny. It is only a matter of time before the power, speed and size of these changes impacts culture in ways that will surprise everyone.

There are no trestles to hide under. The defense needed is awareness and understanding. This necessarily requires a good bit of reading, hours spent do research online and open-minded discussions with knowledgeable people. Most small businesses have been so focused on just having a website that the power of social media has missed them. And people who had no idea that something so good could do so much damage are feeling the shadow side of this new voice. At Reputation Advocate, we talk to such people every day, so we do hear the rumble. You would be well advised to spend some time learning. Put your ear on the track, what do you hear?

-Steven Wyer

Steven C. Wyer is the Managing Director of Reputation Advocate, LLC (reputationadvocate.com) The firm specializes in online reputation management services for both individuals and companies. Steven Wyer can be reached at 888-229-0746.

TOP 10 REPUTATION MANAGEMENT TRACKING TOOLS WORTH PAYING FOR

Brand Reputation Management is an important task to maintain a level of dignity in commerce. As a brand becomes more popular and develops more customers, it will become more widely spread.

The more well known a brand image is, the greater the chance that someone will grab a hold of the image and soil it. Seeing unrelated complaints on a Better Business Bureau page, because their brand image was soiled, gives a business owner a gut wrenching feeling.

Therefore, online reputation management monitoring software will allow a company to maintain its brand image without any such worries. Some software allows its users to track certain keywords across the net. Other packages use a Natural Language algorithm to conduct searches.

The Buzzlogic and Nielsen systems work by allowing an individual to track influences in a particular industry or market sector. Yet other systems use visible metrics to allow an individual to watch over their brand image. Of course, regardless of the system chosen, one should always remember that the ultimate goal is to achieve dignity in commerce. One should be avoiding the hassle of having complaints run up with the aforementioned Better Business Bureau.

-Steven Wyer

Steven C. Wyer is the Managing Director of Reputation Advocate, LLC (reputationadvocate.com) The firm specializes in online reputation management services for both individuals and companies. Steven Wyer can be reached at 888-229-0746.