So you've got a Facebook profile, joined Twitter, and you're LinkedIn.  Now what?

Well my friends, the time has come to beef up your profiles on each network.  One thing you must do is fill in a complete profile.  It's important to be as detailed as possible, and fill in as much information that you can.  This will ensure that there is no guess work from the people who view your page.  I know this is pretty obvious information, but surprisingly not a lot of people complete a full profile.  It's very easy to dismiss someone who has an incomplete one.

It's also very important to have a picture in all your profiles.  This is especially important for those of you living in Japan.  They have to see a face and put it with the profile.  When Japanese apply for a job, they must include a headshot on their resume, so follow suit.   I also strongly recommend using the same photo on all your social media sites.  This ensures no confusion when people are checking out each of your sites.  You should also link all your sites to each other.  For example, on your Facebook page have a link to your LinkedIn profile and vice versa.

Now for your "About Me" section and how to correctly sell yourself.

1. Write down all of your qualifications and accomplishments.
   
   
2. If you have any certifications or awards list them here and be sure to include everything that shows off your professionalism. 
   
   
3. Include any associations you belong to.
   
4. Be sincere, be truthful, don't worry about trying to impress people with fancy vocabulary.  If your writing skills aren't the greatest don't worry about it, just be yourself.  You know yourself the best and can describe yourself the best.
   
5. Fix your mistakes.  Check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  After-all, you are an English teacher and to have mistakes would be embarrassing.

I would also recommend having someone check your writing.  It's always good to have a second set of eyes and a second opinion.

If you have any questions about marketing yourself online or if you want some help with your profile please contact me and I would love to give you a second set of eyes.

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