digital networking · linkedin profile introduction linkedin is one of the most widely used and...

© Laureate International Universities 2016

Digital networking

TSE101FC Travel System Essentials

Module 7


OverviewDigital footprint• Why it matters

• Managing your digital footprint

Digital networking• The importance

• Who should be digital networking?

• Getting started

• Strategies for success

Building your LinkedIn Profile

Learn to love networking

Summary


Digital footprintEvery day, whether you want to or not, nearly everyonecontributes to a growing portrait of who they are online; aportrait that is probably more public than anyone assumes.

This portrait helps:

• organisations target content at specific markets andcustomers

• employers look into candidates backgrounds

• advertisers track consumers movements across multiplewebsites.

Whatever you do online, you might be leaving digitalfootprints behind. No matter what you do online it’s importantthat you know what kind of trail you’re leaving, and what thepossible effects can be.

While it’s not possible to have no digital footprint, the firststeps toward reducing your digital footprint and managingyour digital identity are not difficult and should be consideredif you’re looking to apply for a new job in the near future.

Your digital footprint is the trail of 'electronic breadcrumbs' you leave behind as you use the

internet and it's important to manage it carefully.

Source: Internet Society (2017)


Why it matters

Watch this video to learn more about how the information available from your digital footprint can provide both positiveand potentially negative impacts. It details the spread to which information can go and touches on the growing concernabout the numbers of devices and platforms that can leak personal data online and also reduce you ability to control wherethis information is shared.

The 4 main reasons to care about your digital footprint include: 1) Protecting your reputation, 2) Maintaining your ability todecide where & how your personal information is shared, 3) Preventing Financial Loss and 4) Preserving your freedom.

Source: Internet Society. (2016)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?edufilter=NULL&time_continue=25&feature=emb_logo&v=Ro_LlRg8rGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?edufilter=NULL&time_continue=25&feature=emb_logo&v=Ro_LlRg8rGg


Managing your digital footprint

Step 1: Take the MEASURE of your digital footprint

Start by entering your own name into Google. Take note of what (if anything) turns up, making sure to click beyond the firstpage and jot down any websites you may need to check later on (for example, the Myspace page you haven’t used in tenyears or a question you posted under your own name once on a legal advice website).

Next, visit pipl.com, which connects people with the aggregated data collected by various advertising companies. Again,enter your name, hit search, and see what comes up. Finally, use the Salt Social Profile Checker to track down anything youmight have missed: it’s a secure service that will use your name, as well as various keywords associated with your name, tosearch Google, Google Images, and about 200 social platforms.

Step 1: MEASURE

Step 2: MANAGE

Step 3: MINIMISE

Step 4: BUILD

Step 5: MAINTAIN

Five steps to help in managing your digital footprint

Source: Carr, J. (2019)


Step 2: MANAGE your digital footprint on sites and social media

Facebook: The most important step you can take towards managing how much recruiters can find out about your Facebookactivity is to update your privacy settings. If you feel uncomfortable making your profile private (or simply don’t want to),then at least ensure that what’s available for all to see won’t count against you.

Google: More data about you than you could possibly imagine is collected on Google. Fortunately potential employers can’taccess all of it but may be able to access some. If you don’t like what appears about you on a Google search, chances arethat a recruiter won’t either. To have it removed, contact the site directly or alternatively, check Google’s Removals Policy.

Twitter: Take note: your tweets live on forever. So, consider what you tweet: don’t post information that you wouldn’t wantshared with future employers, even if you choose to protect your tweets. Protect your tweets by following instructions fromthe Twitter Help Centre. Finally, conduct an audit of your past tweets and delete or ‘protect’ any that you feel may raisequestions with future employers.


Instagram: If you have a private profile, then hashtagged photos will not be searchable onInstagram. However, other users will be able to see if you’ve liked another user’s photo,and comments are also public if posted beneath the photo of somebody with a publicprofile. It’s also a good idea to be prudent about the photos you share on Instagram, evenif you make your account private. Remember: what is published online is publishedforever.

Step 3: MINIMISE if you happen to have an unusually negative digitalfootprint

If some aspect of your online persona is particularly incriminating, and destined to befound by savvy employers, then address it directly or indirectly while building your positivereputation. Apply the advice contained in the next step more aggressively by producingpositive content at regular intervals.


Step 4: BUILD a positive online reputation

Consider creating a personal professional website or social platform that you can use to describe your skills and experience,share your travels and travel experiences (if you plan to work in the travel industry), draw attention to any travelaccomplishments and achievements, or simply reinforce your image as a young professional committed to success.

You don’t need to be elaborate or full of information: it can simply serve the same purpose as a business card, lettingemployers know who you are, what you can do, and whether or not you’re determined to maintain a degree ofprofessionalism.

Another important profile to create, if you haven’t created already, is a LinkedIn account. Consider joining the website: it’sone of the first places that prospective employers will check when trying to verify aspects of your application, learn moreabout your skills, get a sense of your personality, and review any testimonials. (Note: You will learn more about this platformand building a profile further in this resource).



Step 5: Moving ahead and MAINTAIN your digital footprint

It may seem that managing your digital footprint is more complicated than you first thought: but that’s only true the firsttime you conduct an online spring clean. Afterwards, preserving a positive online presence is a matter of ongoingmaintenance: even once you’ve gained employment, everything you post will contribute to your digital reputation.

So, be mindful of what you’re sharing with the world about yourself, and regularly audit your reputation by following theinstructions above (in step one). That is, Google yourself, check your privacy settings, and hide any digital ‘blemishes’ thatyou’d rather the world didn’t see. This way, you can approach future job applications with confidence, secure in theknowledge that recruiters won’t unearth anything embarrassing or difficult to explain.



Your digital footprint paints a picture of who you are. Make sure it’s accurate.


Digital networkingAccording to Digital Road, the term digitalnetworking refers to the art and science of digitalcommunication at scale. Put simply, digitalnetworking is about building connections andrelationships via online platforms.

These connections or relationships can be built withpeople you may have met, worked with previously,studied alongside or potentially never met before.

Examples of platforms that enable these connectionsinclude Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and so on.Whether you use the platforms or not, it is importantto acknowledge that building an online network cansignificantly increase your professional success. Seeon the right, some examples of digital networkingprofessionals.

Digital networking can be defined as anything socialyou do online in the name of your business. If you’reposting, commenting, or engaging in a digital space,you’re digitally networking.

Source: Donnelly, R. (2017)

Tess is a Retail Travel Sales Consultant looking to grow her customer network. She starts an Instagram account and regularly posts travel pictures and includes hashtags that allows people to find and follow her and also inspires them to travel. Tess includes

her business information and shares travel deals, sales and relevant information when appropriate.

Maddi is a Marketing Co-ordinator for a small group of boutique hotels. Maddi regularly reviews different aspects of the hotels and

hosts Facebook live feeds to show her network the features of hotels. Her feeds have become extremely popular and there is a

now an option to book a special directly from her feed, which also helps to measure their success.

Callum is a Reservations Agent for a tour company and he often attends product events and travel expos. He also loves going to

conferences and connecting with peers in a networking environment. He is looking to progress his career in the coming

year and actively builds his LinkedIn profile to increase his connections and gain endorsements for his skills.



The importance of digital networkingEffective networking can provide us all with an abundance of opportunities allenabled through building meaningful relationships with others, from opportunitiesfor personal and professional growth to commercial success. Now, by leveraging thepower of our networks through digital technology, we can further discover, build,support and manage the relationships which create these opportunities moreflexibly and at greater scale. In short, taking our networking activity online can helpcreate more of these opportunities - more learning, more growth, more success.

Connecting at Scale

By reducing or eliminating the need for physical proximity within our socialenvironments through digital technology, we can create an added opportunity tonetwork and build personal or professional relationships around the world. Nolonger limited by the needs for creating or maintaining rapport through in-personinteraction, communicating remotely through digital channels enables us toseamlessly overcome physical distances and location changes over our lifetimeswhich might have otherwise threatened our relationships. This not only provides anadded element of flexibility and assurance in the survival of our relationshipsdespite changes in our location or immediate environments, but also provides anopportunity for added development and personal growth through an increasedelement of diversity in our social networks.


Connecting at Scale

Digital Diversity

Professional Opportunities

Network Insights

Stay Informed


Digital Diversity

With technology enabling us to build and maintain relationships with people from all around the world online, we open oursocial networks to interacting and sharing with others coming from entirely different backgrounds to our own. Throughnew interactions with those from different cultures, languages, religious backgrounds and value systems, we build upon ourperspective of the world and see it through a more globalised lense. With the World Economic Forum’s recognition ofthe importance of leveraging an increasingly diverse workforce, adopting digital technology to connect these diverse groupshas never been more critical to our social development.

Professional Opportunities

We all know the old adage that in business, “your network is your net worth.” Using digital technology to scale both thebreadth and depth of your social network can help in creating many professional benefits, from discovering referralopportunities when job hunting or sharing best practices and learnings from your industry peers, or to building deeperrelationships with your clients’ businesses and driving sales. Coupled with a strong personal or professional brand, digitalnetworking can help us in securing speaking event invitations, sourcing investment and more.



Stay Informed

Our society in increasingly interacting viaonline social media and digital channels,and while many of these interactions arealso happening in-person, those who donot adopt digital communication channelsare risking themselves to isolation.

Thoughts are found, emotions shared,events organised, relationships built andwork is done, all while people arecommunicating online. If we fail to inviteourselves to the digital party, we can neverexpect to be part of every conversation.

Network Insights

At its core, digital networking is powered by data. By creating and connecting large subsets of information from across ournetworks and aggregating them online; digital-savvy networkers can leverage online tools from social media and otherchannels to build a deeper understanding of the characteristics and identity of their overall network.

In analysing and profiling our networks, we can build a picture of where they work, what they do, where they live, whatthey’re interested in and more. We can identify the types of people we tend to interact with, and perhaps moreimportantly, those we don’t. Using the various online analytical tools such as LinkedIn’s alumni insights or Twitter’s followeranalysis tool, we are able to build that picture, and also spot potential gaps in our network and where we should look toexpand on them, fitting to our own personal and career goals.



At The Touch of a Button

In most cases, effective digital networkingdoesn’t require many tools and resources wedon’t already have. A smartphone, an emailaddress, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profileis all that is required. There were over 2.6billion smartphone subscriptions in circulationin 2016, with that number projected to reachover half of the world’s hands by 2020.

All of these alone are the perfect media forigniting your digital network. Combined, theycan be built into a system for discovering,building, supporting and managing a highlyvaluable social network at scale. Even more,with a willingness to provide your data tovarious networking sites and social platforms,most of the effective digital networking toolsand technologies available online today canbe used entirely free of charge.

Who should be digital networking?Everyone.

Regardless of your current career stage, industry, oraspirations, we have seen there are nearcountless benefits to networking for improvingeither our personal or professional lives. Takingyour networking digital can only accelerate thesebenefits.

From the student, who may be seeking internshipexperience, to the scientist who discovered theirnext research partner across the world throughsharing her work online, or the teacher, whocollaborates with a peer to arrange a foreignexchange to broaden his students’ mindset, and thestart-up founder, whose business is rescued frommeeting his angel investor. There are few ambitionsor goals we seek in life which cannot be helpedthrough networking.

Once we come to realise those goals, personal orprofessional, we can begin to explore the manyways in which networking can help us in achievingthem. Source: Donnelly, R. (2017)


Many of us have a different appreciation orperception of the idea of ‘networking’, as well asdifferent comfort levels with our use of social mediaand digital technology.

While some of us may be social media advocates,connecting daily with friends and connections acrossthe vast multitude of social media applications likeFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp &more on a daily basis, not all users or social adoptersfeel the same way. Some of us may feel a greaterlevel of concern for our privacy, or perhaps less savvyusing a smartphone or browsing online.

While the average Facebook user may have 155friends on their network, some of us may have vastlymore, and some might only have a handful. The mostimportant thing to recognise, regardless of yourcurrent experience with social media or digitalnetworking, either of these are fantastic startingpoints!

Getting started


Identify Your Goals

The first key step to building an effective digitalnetwork is to define your own goals.

Ask yourself what it is that you want from life,and how your network could help you achievethat.

Your goals can be either personal orprofessional, such as finding a new job ormaking friends in a new city.

Once you have this picture in mind, you begin toget an idea of the types of people you wish toinclude in your growing network, and where andhow to find them.


Strategies for successTechnology today allows anyone to scale networking efforts more successfully at greater speeds than ever before with theuse of Meetups, LinkedIn, blogging, videos, Twitter chats, Google Hangouts and more.

Don’t forget that these tools should be used in conjunction with networking offline as well, since they help add to your in-person interactions that are often the most effective at generating a strong bond with your contacts.

It’s all about creating a large quality network of contacts you can rely on, and who can rely on you. Quality and quantity areimportant attributes of networking, which are quite difficult to achieve but entirely possible once you’ve tapped into theright amount of hustle.

Don’t sacrifice the quality of your contacts for the quantity, but find the happy medium.

Source: Honigman, B. (2014)

1. Become a LinkedIn powerhouse

2. Find job openings, make contacts and learn with Meetups

3. Meet someone new every week

4. Create content at scale

5. The economy of favours is endless

Strategies to best use the tools available today to network with other professionals in your industry and beyond


Engaging, friendly picturethat invites people to connect

Descriptive headlinebeyond a job title and shows your personality and or goal

Summary or descriptionthat highlights your passion, experience, goal or accomplishments

Background imagethat grabs attention

and still looks professional

Easy ways for people to contact you

Including your email and other social links

LinkedIn Profile introductionLinkedIn is one of the most widely used and successful, professional networking platforms. Using LinkedIn to build strongpersonal brand goes beyond uploading a good profile photo – it takes planning, preparation and careful consideration. Thefollowing guidelines can help you create or revamp your profile on LinkedIn, so you can thrive on this digital network.

Source: LinkedIn. (n.d.).


Building your LinkedIn ProfileSTEP 1: Put your best face forward

Your picture is the first thing candidates see. In fact, just having apicture gets you significantly more profile views and connectionrequests. When it comes to profile pictures, make sure it’sprofessional, approachable, and friendly. And since connecting withpeople is your goal, you may want to select a professional photo orperhaps a suitable travel photo.

STEP 2: Write a headline that’s all you

The headline on your profile goes right under your name. Sure, youcould just list your job title. But does that get to the heart of yourability and impact? Think about your headline like this: aside fromyour photo, it’s the single most important factor to making a strongfirst impression. Source: LinkedIn. (n.d.).

21 XMore profile views with a

picture

9 XMore

connection requests YOUR HEADLINE

□ Make it quick Your headline should sum up what you do in a few words.

□ Make it catchy Think of your headline as your tagline. Make it memorable.

□ Make it you Your headline should be unique to your personality and job.


STEP 4: Build credibility with references and endorsements

People want to connect and work with people they trust.

There’s no better way to earn their trust than by showingpeople that you’re good at what you do.

Focus on collecting recommendations and endorsementsfrom people that have worked with you or taught you theseskills and observed your behaviours.

STEP 3: Create a summary that tells your story

“Passionate about travel”

Sound familiar?

Generic summaries don’t show people who you are, whatyou bring to the table, and how well you do your job –essential ingredients to gaining trust with new connectionsor customers.

Use your summary to list your goals, aims,accomplishments, and your mission working in the industry.In other words, tell people why they should connect withyou.


YOUR SUMMARY□ Make it about you

It’s OK to focus on you. This is your personal brand.□ Tell a story

This is a chance for people to get to know you. Shareyour goals and what you’re passionate about.

□ Write in the first personThird-person summaries can sound impersonal. Don’tbe overly formal. Be yourself.

CREDIBILITY□ Aid their memory

When asking for recommendations or endorsementsfrom colleagues, teachers or customers, include noteson how what you did to help them.

□ Highlight your abilitiesEncourage people to make your accomplishmentscrystal clear to readers

□ Make it personalAsk people to share telling details about you as anindustry professional and your unique approach.


Step 5: Create a memorable Career Page

A LinkedIn Career Page makes it easy to create a resource for customers and industry connections who are looking for talent like you! You can give them a snapshot of what it’s like to have you work for them by using testimonials and tailored messaging which helps you achieve your goals.


STEP 6: Help others find you

Now that you have an enthusiastic presence on your LinkedIn profile plus a page devoted to your strengths, the last step is making sure you are active with your profile and page. Share articles, Like, Follow, Comment and Congratulate others. Most importantly stay positive and remain genuine in your activities.


LinkedIn Do’s & Don’tsDO

• Do create a professional, visually appealing profile and ensure your information stays up-to-date and complete. Remember, first impressions count.

• Do create a personal message that starts arelationship, rather than using the standard"Join my network on LinkedIn" message.

• Do be active in your groups. Postthoughtful responses to the mostinteresting discussions.

• Do the work to obtain testimonials andendorsements that accurately reflect yourskills.

• Do reach out and make meaningfulconnections. Take the time to find commonground and consider how you can addreciprocal value.

DON’T

• Don't make blanket connections. Learn about yourpotential contact first and be ready to explain why theyshould connect with you.

• Don't use jargon to describe yourself and what you do.Phrases like, ‘I strategically empower visionaryorganisations to develop their untapped reservoirs ofpotential’ are likely to alienate anyone who reads them.Use simple language and terms that people can actuallyrelate to.

• Don't be self-indulgent. If you start a discussion or post alink, provide value and avoid obvious self-promotion.

• Don't let your profile sit there undeveloped. Even if youonly post an update once a week, keep it alive and ticking.

• Don't treat LinkedIn as just another chore you need tokeep up with. LinkedIn is one of the best businessnetworking tools currently out there and with a little timeand effort, you'll soon establish worthwhile and fruitfullong-term relationships.

Source: Hudson. (n.d.).


FCTA AlumniAbout this group

A global group enabling alumni, staff and students of TheFlight Centre Travel Academy to connect, build professionalnetworks and share their knowledge, news and ideas.

Join the Flight Centre Travel Academy Alumni Group toexpand your network, remain informed and connect withothers that you have studied alongside or that have comethrough the same qualification you’ve completed.

Update the group on your career progression, share industrynews, recognise and congratulate others, endorse your peersand welcome new alumni!

In addition to this group, consider other professional groupsthat you may wish to join, inspiring industry leaders you canfollow or travel and tourism organisations that will keep youup to date on their latest announcements.


Learn to love networkingWhile not all of us may not be immediately drawn to the idea of networking, Tiziana Casciaro (et al.) highlights how each ofus can eventually learn to love networking, by keeping the focus on learning and common interests, maintaining an openmindset, and understanding what value we can bring to the relationship in order to achieve a higher purpose.

IDENTIFY: your goals (see earlier slide)

DISCOVER: Identifying new prospective contacts who can add value to your network and instigating 2-way interaction with them

online.

BUILD: Developing interactions with newer

members of your network to better understand their personality, background,

interests and more in order to drive rapport at a

personal level.

SUPPORT: Maintaining positive rapport through

continued regular interaction and sharing in

line with each party’s social relationship

expectations.

MANAGE: Developing and organising an effective

communication cadence for supporting existing

relationships and simultaneously expanding

your network.



Summary• Everyday, nearly everyone contributes towards their digital footprint. Your digital footprint is

the trail of 'electronic breadcrumbs' you leave behind as you use the internet and it'simportant to manage it carefully

• To manage your digital footprint effectively, you need to Measure it, Manage it online,Minimise any negative aspects, Build a more positive approach and Maintain it throughactivity

• Digital networking refers to the art and science of digital communication at scale. Put simply,digital networking is about building connections and relationships via online platforms.

• The many benefits of digital networking include the ability to connect at scale, build andmaintain diversity, open up professional opportunities, gain network insights and stayinformed

• Everyone should be networking on a digital platform with technology making it easy andaccessible for all

• LinkedIn is one of the most widely used and successful, professional networking platforms thatshould be considered when building your digital network

• To maintain and strengthen your digital networking, you should Identify your goals, Discovernew contacts, Build contacts and interactions, Support through interaction and sharing andManage effective communication.


Bibliography

• Carr, J. (2019, September 9). The ultimate guide to managing your digital footprint. Retrieved from https://gradaustralia.com.au/career-planning/the-ultimate-guide-to-managing-your-digital-footprint

• Donnelly, R. (2017, August 5). What is digital networking?. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.digitalroad.io/blog/what-is-digital-networking

• Honigman, B. (2014, January 20). 5 Effective networking strategies in the digital age. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2014/01/19/5-effective-networking-strategies-digital-age/

• Hudson. (n.d.). How to network your way to success. Retrieved November 14, 2019, from https://au.hudson.com/insights/article/how-to-network-your-way-to-success

• Internet Society. (2017, September 13). Your Digital Footprint Matters. Retrieved from https://www.internetsociety.org/tutorials/your-digital-footprint-matters/

• Internet Society. (2016, January 12). YouTube [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?edufilter=NULL&time_continue=25&feature=emb_logo&v=Ro_LlRg8rGg

• LinkedIn. (n.d.). Create the perfect linkedIn profile. Retrieved from https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/talent-solutions/cx/2019/PDF/LTS_Profile_01242019.pdf

https://gradaustralia.com.au/career-planning/the-ultimate-guide-to-managing-your-digital-footprint

https://www.digitalroad.io/blog/what-is-digital-networking

https://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2014/01/19/5-effective-networking-strategies-digital-age/

https://au.hudson.com/insights/article/how-to-network-your-way-to-success

https://www.internetsociety.org/tutorials/your-digital-footprint-matters/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?edufilter=NULL&time_continue=25&feature=emb_logo&v=Ro_LlRg8rGg

https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/talent-solutions/cx/2019/PDF/LTS_Profile_01242019.pdf

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