Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: I was sued for millions of dollars by my former employer. It’s all settled now, but if you search my name on the Internet, you see what happened. As a result, I don’t want to be on social media. I know recruiters are using it to find candidates, but is there anything else I can do?. – Jerry
DALE: No one wants to be a “politician,” but politics are an important part of career success: Like it or not, you have to manage your image. All of us are now “in the media,” mostly online. J.T.: The best defense is a good offense: Letting the lawsuit be the only thing about you on social media is a major mistake. You need to use tools like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other popular channels to add professional, positive information about you. That way, when recruiters search your name, they’ll have more to look at than just that nagging old lawsuit. DALE: Good idea. You also can contribute to blogs or make YouTube videos about topics in your field. Still, it’s human nature that people will focus on that one big negative. In my case, whenever I’m going to meet with someone in a professional setting, I do an Internet search. Twice in recent months, that led to a lawsuit popping up. In one case, the person had been sued for a minor copyright issue, not worth considering. However, the other person had failed to fulfill a contract. Because we might be working together, I brought up the lawsuit, and the guy just made a face and waved it away, saying, “That jerk was nuts.” Naturally, that only increased my concern and hesitation. I mention this to you, Jerry, because I want you to be able to seriously and persuasively talk about what went wrong and how you reacted to it. Having someone who’ll back your version – in the form of a reference who worked with you at that former employer, perhaps someone who has since left – would be ideal. J.T.: Then you must network like crazy. Getting introductions via friends and family will help offset the negative press online. The important thing is to get in the game and brand yourself so the past doesn’t do it for you. Dear J.T. & Dale: I love my employer, but I just got a call from a recruiter with an opportunity that sounds too good to pass up. What should I do? – Hayley DALE: OK, Hayley, I get that you love your employer. BUT, do you love your job? Do you love your potential for learning and career growth? Do you love your colleagues so much that you want to be more like them? J.T.: What Dale is saying is that you need to look at the bigger picture of your employment “love” by putting your current job in perspective. You get the bigger picture only by seeing what else is out there. So you definitely should talk to the recruiter and pursue the opportunity. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t want to make the decision based on money! Instead, consider how this job will grow you as a professional for the long term. Some high-salary jobs turn out to be “hazard pay”: They throw a lot of money at you because the work itself is outdated, boring or eventually will be going away. Don’t let dollars cloud your strategic vision for your career.
