As we celebrate world online networking day, we offer some tips for supply teacher’s online presence.
Whys is a supply teacher’s online presence important?
A supply teacher’s online reputation is just as important as a reputation in the community. Did you know that all the information that can be found about you on the internet is referred to as your ‘online presence’? You may not be aware that increasingly this information comes from your profiles on social networks. For example, anything you put out on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. It also includes photographs of you and anything that you have written or has been written about you. This may be on blogs, forum posts and wikis.
Why is it important for supply teachers to protect their online reputation?
Establishing, protecting, and managing your online presence is now crucial in the education sector. Importantly, supply teachers should google themselves at least once a month and see what comes up. You should do this because this is what an employer may do. If when you google yourself, information is inaccurate or negative, it will create a poor first impression. Consequently you should un-tag yourself in any potentially compromising photos on Facebook. To do this, you can use their ‘View As’ function to see how your profile looks to the public. You may be unaware that Facebook is known for its frequent alteration of privacy settings. So make sure you check your profile often, we recommend monthly.
You may not know that LinkedIn is more difficult to make mistakes with. Above all, its purpose is to convert you into a living CV. However, just because your photo is in focus and you’re not posting offensive updates, don’t assume you’re a LinkedIn success. Importantly, watch put if your employment history on your LinkedIn profile is different to that on your CV. Any employee could look at both and could consider the inconsistency to be suspicious. Notwithstanding, you should also be aware of poor spelling and grammar. Similarly if you have too few connections and endorsements, a negative impression can be created. So, before you apply for a job, google yourself. Review what comes up or even try to make it a regular habit. Consequently, you will keep up to date about what is out there about you.