It is evident that most employers are embracing the power of online recruitment, but did you know that they also research potential candidates online? In fact, 61% of respondents who took part in the Bayt.com ‘Personal Branding in the MENA’ poll, September 2013, said that their companies always check the profiles of new recruits online before hiring them. Another nine in 10 admit running an online search for people they have met or are about to meet. People who want to stand out today as career-savvy professionals need to become more marketable. Not only should they be posting their CVs online, but they should also consider other ways of presenting a strong online presence. Creating a searchable public profile on Bayt.com People platform is one way of doing this. This service is free, easy to use, and takes only a few minutes if you already have a complete CV on Bayt.com. If you have not created a Bayt.com public profile yet, here are 10 reasons why you need to do so:
The internet has revolutionized the way we search and apply for jobs. In fact, the entire job market is changing as the world adopts more digital habits. Recruitment and career development are moving towards a social, open and public platform as more and more professionals realize the importance of their professional credentials being accessible to a wider circle of employers and peers. In fact, when asked about the extent to which an online personal brand can help a career, an overwhelming 92% of respondents in the Bayt.com ‘Personal Branding in the MENA’ poll said that a good personal brand can help you get more interviews and grow in your career.
As the results of the Bayt.com ‘Hiring Management in the MENA’ poll (August 2012) indicate, it is increasingly important for jobseekers to have a professional online presence: 84% of employers in the region take the time to research candidates online before making their final decision, while 29.2% say that the biggest challenge they face is sourcing relevant candidates for senior executive and management positions. Another 98% of people who make hiring decisions claim that the internet is an important place for sourcing candidates, according to the Bayt.com ‘Modern Job Search in the MENA’ poll, November 2013.
Think of a Bayt.com public profile as your online business card. You can tailor it any way you like to present your skills, experience, qualifications and unique professional identity. Whatever professional brand you wish to convey to the outside world, a Bayt.com public profile is your ideal way to do so and it can be done easily and instantaneously.
A Bayt.com public profile will help you showcase your talent in a sleek and ingenious manner that will propel you to the top of search results whenever employers or peers Google your name. According to the Bayt.com ‘Personal Branding in the MENA’ poll, 23% of MENA professionals believe that an online personal brand can help you show your specialties, while 44% think it is essential to have an online professional profile in order not to miss any great opportunities (as per the Bayt.com ‘Modern Job Search in the MENA’ poll).
Bayt.com Public Profiles were created to serve as a virtual CV, i.e. one that displays all your skills and achievements, but also one that enables employers and peers to contact you. Whether you wish to be contacted for better jobs, consultancy offers, business deals, or simply to join a relevant professional network your Bayt.com public profile ensures you are never overlooked. A Bayt.com public profile not only boosts your professional status but also allows networking and information sharing.
Bayt.com Public Profiles are shareable, i.e. a public profile can be shared with connections and friends on Facebook, Twitter and via email. If you’re job hunting you can simply share the link to your public profile with potential employers on Twitter, for example, so they can screen it as you explain why you would be the perfect candidate for the job. With a Bayt.com public profile, sharing your professional outline online has never been easier!
Recommendations are a great way to display the great work you’ve done so far. Your managers, friends and colleagues can write about your skills and what a valuable addition to their teams you were, and their recommendations are displayed on your profile to make it even snazzier. You can also receive the more casual choice of Bayt.com badges for leadership, creativity, teamwork and more. You can ask for recommendations from your friends on Facebook, or simply by entering your friends and colleagues’ emails. According to the Bayt.com ‘Modern Job Search in the MENA’ poll, 62% of professionals who make hiring decisions in the region, recommendations are very important to the hiring decision. Recommendations will add that extra “plus” on your CV, so don’t hesitate to get as many as you can!
Are you very skilled in a certain area and ready to show it the world? Here’s your chance to get a “thumbs ups” in your top specialties. Getting endorsed is a great way for you to show employers that you’re truly an expert in your field. The more endorsements you get, the more your chances are of truly stand out among your peers and other specialists in your field.
Professionals increasingly want to stand out and be sought and recognized for their expertise. Through a Bayt.com public profile and the newly introduced Bayt.com Specialties, professionals can leverage their public profiles to engage directly with other members in the professional community who share their specialties to learn from each other. By engaging in professional conversations, specialists earn points and raise their ranking in their specialties. Higher ranked professionals get a better chance to be seen by employers and other visitors of Bayt.com.
From now on, the Bayt.com People platform is public and searchable by anyone through "People Search", a public search engine that can be used by professionals and companies looking for top talents in the Middle East and North Africa. People Search provides millions of professionals who have decided to go public on Bayt.com with the platform they need to enhance their online branding and exposure not only to professional recruiters but also to the general public. Having a professional public profile will take you a long way in your job search and, when combined with other great features on Bayt.com, such as Bayt.com Specialties, will guarantee you’re always one step ahead of others when applying for jobs. You can create your own public profile now by visiting Bayt.com People platform.
