Your Career Is On the Line If You're Not Doing This Simple Thing Having a solid online presence accelerates your career and gives you optionality. Yet, many knowledge workers are getting left behind because they're not investing in it.
By Richard Okyere Mensah Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
2022 will go down as one of the most brutal years in tech history. It was the year when large swaths of employees were laid off, countless startups were on the brink of death, and venture investors saw billions of dollars wiped off their portfolios. Even large, seemingly strong companies like Apple, Meta, Snap, Amazon and Stripe have been impacted by the uncertain economic conditions.
That's unfortunate since many laid-off employees have to go back to the drawing board to figure out what's next for them. This is a grueling process for them, especially after they've given their valuable time and experience to a company only to be included in a round of layoffs.
Employees across the board are now waking up to the fact that their jobs are temporary and unstable. An effective way to future-proof your career is to build an online presence around something you're passionate about.
Here's why you should invest in having a strong online presence:
Related: 3 Ways to Build an Online Presence With Social Media
You'll build credibility around your professional passions
What are you known for? If I were to ask 50 people you've worked with in the past, would they say the same things? We're all passionate about something. However, very few people spend the time to share their professional passions with others. Building credibility doesn't happen overnight — it's a long game. The traditional approach of building credibility offline takes decades of success, working in the same industry or role to acquire good enough credibility for your skillset.
For most of us, spending decades building credibility is not an option, particularly during periods of market uncertainty. This is why having a strong online presence is essential. By sharing your professional journey online, you can establish yourself as a leader in your space in a relatively short time.
Related: 6 Easy Ways to Build a Strong Presence Online
You'll discover and get to know your supporters
"Your network is your net worth," as the popular saying goes. To quickly get ahead in your career, you'll need to find your tribe of supporters. In the offline world, your tribe of supporters can include your friends, family, co-workers, etc. Although having a strong offline network is important, most people are limited professionally if they only have such a network. Dunbar's number states that you can maintain stable social relationships with a maximum of 150 people.
We're all cognitively limited by the number of people we can build relationships with. However, when it comes to accelerating your career, you'll have a strong advantage if many people know about you. That's where building an online presence comes in. By sharing your professional journey online, you'll be able to attract the right people who'll be invested in your success. The possibilities are endless.
Related: 5 Ways to Connect With Your Online Community
You'll have your pick of high-quality career opportunities
By having other people you've never met invested in your professional success, you'll now be top of mind for them when they have opportunities related to your space. More than 80% of career opportunities are filled without being made public. These hidden opportunities tend to be very high quality. People usually fill them with strong connections and credibility within a given space.
When you consistently share your professional journey online, you'll eventually be able to attract professional opportunities. This makes it much easier for you to progress faster and even explore other career paths whenever you want.
Building an online presence is one of the best ways to make your career optional. It's a skill worth investing in. You can unlock career opportunities you've only over-dreamed about. If you're not doing this already, what are you waiting for? Begin your journey today. Whether through your Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube, newsletter, etc., start sharing your professional journey on the internet. Trust me; it will be worth it.
