I admit that I sometimes miss the days of sending my resume and cover letter by snail mail. For the position I hold now, I did everything online. My well-designed resume doesn’t look as professional when all of the graphical elements are removed and it’s simply a bunch of words. And as someone who hires staff, I always check a candidate’s digital footprint.

So what do you do to get noticed in this digital era? Below are five suggestions:

1)      On LinkedIn use your professional headline to highlight your expertise. Don’t simply state the job you have. Rather, use key words that emphasize your experience.

2)      Share your expertise on LinkedIn by answering questions posted by others. Start discussions. You want employers to know you are current with trends and issues within your field.

3)      Brand yourself by including URLs in your email signature. Include your LinkedIn URL, your blog, your website – anything that brands you and provides others with more information about your experience.

4)      Compare your resume to your online profiles and eliminate any discrepancies. Employment dates and titles should match. At a prior company my title changed a few times and I had not updated it on my resume. Now it is. It wasn’t dishonest, but it was careless, and employers don’t want either.

5)       Update your status. When you attend a conference or attend training, let others know. Whenever you update, a message is sent to your network so it will remind your connections of your qualifications.

What do you do to stay visible? And have any of you found a job through a social media site?