Tips for Bud Gibson's IS Class

Here are the slides from the brief presentation I gave to Dr. Gibson's IS class this evening.  It was an honor to come back to EMU and offer some tips on how to re-create some of the success I have experinced since graduating last year.  I want to take this chance to elaborate on some elements of the presentation and add some additional thoughts that I forgot to mention during my presentation. 

Here are the elements I expressed in my presentation in case you missed it and some additional details.

• Don't miss an opporunity to display what you know
• Speak at networking events
• Put your experiences in your profiles (i.e.LinkedIn, G+, your blog, your online resume)
• Take on any work even if it is pro-bono (the NPO's you work with in class are a great starting point.  Offer services to them.)
• Blog about your experiences or blog about web marketing problems that you have solved.
• The most important part about blogging and sharing on social media is offering something of value.  Always make sure you are adding value.
• Showcase your accomplishments and leverage your experience
• When you place your experience from these courses on your resume or in your online profiles, don't talk about it like an assignment or "something you did for school".  Put it in as you would with any other real world experience, because it is.
• Ask your NPO contacts for references.
• Ask for recommendations on LinkedIn (if you have done a good job for your NPO's they should be happy to provide this).
• Be consistent in your web presence
• Be one thing everywhere.  If that is a web marketing professional, be that in all of your online profiles that you use for professional purposes.  If it is to be a Real Estate agent, then be that in ALL of your online profiles.  No matter what it is, be consistent. 
• Its ok to have personal profiles that you don't use for professional purposes.  In fact, try not to mix them. 
• Provide links in all of your professional profiles to all of your other professional profiles and blog.  No matter how an employer or client finds you, they should be able to see the rest of the information out there about you. 
• Use the same information for all profiles i.e. emails, blog URL's, phone numbers and profile images, etc.
• Follow influential industry players
• No matter what industry you are planning to work in, there are people who are active in an online world that you can interact with.
• If you plan to work in web marketing or social media, check out the profiles of people in my presentation.
• Follow industry leaders, reshare their content, reach out to them and meet them in person if you are able to.  I'm a fan of meeting people in person before you connect online however if you can pull off an online networking approach then go for it.  Sometimes this takes a little more involvement than an in person approach. 

Below are the slides that I showed in class.   I had a great time speaking this evening and I wish you all the best of luck in your future ventures!