Online profile has limited uses

I read a pitch saying that “every professional needs an online universal profile by 2006.” I attach the pitch for your comments. Is the claim true? Does every professional need an online presence “to help employers identify the professional as a great candidate for a new role”?

At first glance, it seems logical for a professional to attempt breaking through the static of our 500-channel universe to stand out from the crowd. But after taking a closer look, I found it isn’t always such a hot – or safe – idea.

The basic premise of the pitch by a commercial online service is that a “universal profile” for your professional self gives recruiters, employers and business associates a snapshot of your work experience and background. Further, “it gives business colleagues the chance to get to know you and build trust in you more quickly.”

The service describes itself as a people search engine that “presents an online searchable index of millions of professionals’ profiles from around the world.”

Professionals can list themselves for free – name, title and company. A more complete listing is also free: background information, work experience, résumé and photo.

For a fee of $4.95 month (cancel anytime), you can “give your profile a top-listing position in every major search engine, including Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL.” The first month is free.

You also will receive an e-mail alert every time a visitor finds and reviews your universal profile via any search engine.

The offer sounds enticing, the operators seem bright and honest, and the price is fair. But does it work?

For individuals selling services at the retail level – time management, home cleanup and organization, guitar lessons – universal profiles at $5 a month may be cost-effective advertising, cheaper than postage-stamp ads in the backs of magazines. Speakers looking for gigs can use universal profiles as well.

And for employees of consulting firms dependent upon a steady stream of customers, the return on investment may be rewarding; for example, posting the photo of an attractive young woman who could be a cover girl makes a good ad for a firm that offers media training and message testing.

For others who seek regular employment, I can’t recommend universal profiles for these reasons:

• Recruiters and employers want to hire people whose qualifications are a good fit for the job’s requirements. If they decide to make the effort to check out a universal profile, they’re already very interested because of a referral, a successful interview or a well-done résumé. An inappropriate fact on a canned profile could cause reconsideration of your value.

• Other than for models and actors, photos are risky because a potential employer may decide you remind her of a much-unloved relative, and you’re toast.

• A major problem with the universal profiles I reviewed is the insider stuff, such as a candidate (who is not trying for a job marketing Hogs) who says she rides a motorcycle with her husband, or a candidate who says his wife’s name is Robin and that he has a dog named Camden Yards, or a candidate who leads his profile with the news that he is a cancer survivor. And in this youth culture, another candidate volunteers that she is “middle-aged.”

The litmus test for revealing personal data in a résumé is: “Does including this information enhance my perceived qualifications for the type of job I seek?” If not, send it to the cutting-room floor.

Earlier I mentioned that universal profiles may not be safe. In an analysis, Fran Quittel, a leading online recruiter and author of Job Search Smarts (your career.com), says:

“Identity thieves deliberately prowl cyberspace looking for your personal data. Wise job seekers never include their Social Security, driver’s or professional license numbers, home addresses or family information online. It is simply too dangerous.”

If you’re not clear on the dangers the author speaks about, go to worldprivacy forum.org; scroll down the home page for two reports: “Updated Résumé Posting Tips for Jobseekers” and “Consumer’s Privacy Guide to Job Searching Online.”

Are universal profiles useful for advertising? Yes or maybe.

Are universal profiles useful for job searches? No or rarely.

Similar Posts:

• Using LunchMeet to Advance Your Career
• Top 5 Employment Trends for 2012
• Getting A Recommendation From A Past Employer
• Staying Motivated at a Dead-End Job
• Why The Workplace Office Is Becoming Arbitrary