Today, with the proliferation of social networking and mobile
technology, how do you keep all the job searching and interviewing
activities secret from a savvy boss and colleagues?
Before you start seeking new employment, be aware there isn't a 100% chance you won't be caught. With that said, there are several tactics you can employ to mitigate the risk of being discovered. With social networking playing such a key role in your search, let's start by exploring the pitfalls of using LinkedIn.
According to LinkedIn, more than 45 million profiles are viewed daily. Clearly, LinkedIn is a great way to network your way to a new job. However, if you're employed and wish to maintain a low profile, beware: LinkedIn is not as stealthy as you might expect.
The Pitfalls of Changing Your LinkedIn Profile
Each time you update your LinkedIn profile - whether it's changing your summary (any information below your name), editing your past experience or following new companies - the social network automatically broadcasts the activity to your connections.
Unfortunately, LinkedIn interprets any such changes as potentially a change in your job status, such as a promotion or even a new employer. Consequently, each one of your connections will receive a "Say congrats to "»" and be prompted to respond.
Imagine you've just revised your profile, and then hordes of congratulatory messages about your new job or promotion begin pouring in for viewing by your entire network. Contrary to your intentions, LinkedIn has erroneously just raised a red flag regarding your new employment status. Since many of your connections may be co-workers, such news will travel virally in an office setting.
Simply Change Your Linked-In Privacy Settings
Fortunately, LinkedIn does provide an option to shut off all your activity broadcasts before you update your profile. You can easily accomplish this by placing the cursor over your photo in the upper right corner of your profile page. A drop-down box will appear. Select "Privacy & Settings" and a new page will now appear.
In addition to avoiding the possibility of broadcasting false news about your employment status, by disabling these settings, you also prevent your current employer from receiving notices about any new LinkedIn activity which you might not be ready to share.
When you are prepared to share an actual success story with your network (such as finding the job of your dreams), simply turn your activity broadcasts and feeds back on.
Before you start seeking new employment, be aware there isn't a 100% chance you won't be caught. With that said, there are several tactics you can employ to mitigate the risk of being discovered. With social networking playing such a key role in your search, let's start by exploring the pitfalls of using LinkedIn.
According to LinkedIn, more than 45 million profiles are viewed daily. Clearly, LinkedIn is a great way to network your way to a new job. However, if you're employed and wish to maintain a low profile, beware: LinkedIn is not as stealthy as you might expect.
The Pitfalls of Changing Your LinkedIn Profile
Each time you update your LinkedIn profile - whether it's changing your summary (any information below your name), editing your past experience or following new companies - the social network automatically broadcasts the activity to your connections.
Unfortunately, LinkedIn interprets any such changes as potentially a change in your job status, such as a promotion or even a new employer. Consequently, each one of your connections will receive a "Say congrats to "»" and be prompted to respond.
Imagine you've just revised your profile, and then hordes of congratulatory messages about your new job or promotion begin pouring in for viewing by your entire network. Contrary to your intentions, LinkedIn has erroneously just raised a red flag regarding your new employment status. Since many of your connections may be co-workers, such news will travel virally in an office setting.
Simply Change Your Linked-In Privacy Settings
Fortunately, LinkedIn does provide an option to shut off all your activity broadcasts before you update your profile. You can easily accomplish this by placing the cursor over your photo in the upper right corner of your profile page. A drop-down box will appear. Select "Privacy & Settings" and a new page will now appear.
- Under "Privacy Controls" select "Turn on/off your activity broadcasts." You may now uncheck a box titled, "Let people know when you change your profile, make recommendations, or follow companies."
- Click on "Who Can See Your Activity Feed" and change it to "Only You."
- While you're in Privacy & Settings, view your "Primary Email" to ensure you're not using your corporate email address. If such is the case, change it to your personal email account.
In addition to avoiding the possibility of broadcasting false news about your employment status, by disabling these settings, you also prevent your current employer from receiving notices about any new LinkedIn activity which you might not be ready to share.
When you are prepared to share an actual success story with your network (such as finding the job of your dreams), simply turn your activity broadcasts and feeds back on.
Lenny Keitel runs Hudson Valley Resumes in Monroe, NY, a
Professional Resume Writing Service with a penchant for crafting
compelling resumes that motivate the hiring manager through its
inspirational content, clarity and visual appeal.
http://www.hudsonvalleyresumes.com
info@hudsonvalleyresumes.com (email), (845) 782-6714 (office/fax), (914) 782-6714 (mobile)
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lenny_Keitel/374561
http://www.hudsonvalleyresumes.com
info@hudsonvalleyresumes.com (email), (845) 782-6714 (office/fax), (914) 782-6714 (mobile)