PEK Interactive Topics: Online Communities, Professional Benefits

The following is an excerpt from an event co-sponsored by UCSD Career Services Center and the UCSD Alumni Association in San Diego California on the topic of “The Professional Benefits of Online Communities“. You can also go the the University of California San Diego website to get the PDF of the The Professional Benefits of Online Communities Event here.

What online communities do you use in your current position? And how do you use them.

Digg http://digg.com/ delicious http://del.icio.us/ - In social networks, popularity is key! Get your published content ranked by these sites and you are sure to drive allot of traffic and attention to yourself. Viral marketing at it’s best.

Linked-In http://www.linkedin.com/ - Network Baby! It’s about WHO you know. With Linked-In you are only 6 degrees away from making the right contact that will get you a job.

Craigslist http://www.craigslist.org - Strength in numbers - popular sites like craigslist see so much traffic that it presents with a fresh list of career opportunities daily. Watch out for “bad leads” tho…

You Tube http://www.youtube.com/ - literally a gateway into social nirvana - upload a video that is remotely interesting and thousands of people will see what you have to show. This is a great way to get a reaction from a wide audience.

Blogger http://www.blogger.com - One of many popular blog sites, with this you can publish content and start your own community for free.

Elance http://www.elance.com - A valuable

Meetup.com http://www.meetup.com/ - Find a community near you! Sites like meetup build communities by uniting people with similar interests with organized meeting events.

Did you need knowledge of online communities for your position?

Yes, particularly since our clients make use of social networks as vehicles to market themselves to targeted audiences. Knowing how to reach a certain audience by tapping into a popular online community can give you a marketing advantage.

What professional advice do you have for students utilizing these online communities?

Devise a personal online marketing strategy. Don’t forget the internet is a powerful medium that is available to everyone and is accessible 24/7. Build yourself a microsite. Publish your resume online. Maintain a blog with topics that are professionally engaging and reflect your knowledge in the field you want to succeed in. Try to define yourself as a subject matter expert. Buy yourself a personalized domain name using a service like PEK Online (www.pekonline.com) and print your site on business cards.

Associate yourself with relevant online communities and be pro-active within communities associated with your profession/area of interest. For example:

Do you use the online communities as a networking tool or social?

Both

How much information should you include on a profile page?

Keep your info on public profiles strictly business professional. Avoid publishing personally sensitive information. Like a resume, your profile should reflect your skills, your experience, even your personality. Keep it short but sweet.

Have you received a career opportunity through one of your online communities?

My company has relied on online communities to bid for project work and contracts on sites such as Elance (http://www.elance.com) where you can promote yourself as a consultant and bid for contract work. Job board communities such as Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.org) can prove to be an easy way to find jobs too.

Additional Recommended Resource:

Google.com - the fastest way to search for the most popular online communities. Be sure to use relevant keywords for interests, locations, and activities when searching.

PEK Online SEO Domain Registration (www.pekonline.com) - buy yourself a personalized domain name and build your own custom website in minutes.

About the author:
Patrick Kajirian is the co-founder and Creative Director of PEK Interactive. PEK Interactive offers in-house search engine optimization services as well as SEO mentoring, Los Angeles website Design and custom search friendly web development. PEK provides frequently publishes SEO resources with the latest tips in search engine optimization and search engine friendly website design.