Today’s career environment is different. What’s different is that there are more ways to influence getting a job than in the past. The old saying is true: "It’s not what you know; it’s who you know." Well, the number of people you know has expanded a bit thanks to the social networks. What people know about you has also grown thanks in part to the various tools you can employ in social media.

Here are some tips you can use to build your online presence for your career and your online business.

Use Your Blog as a Resume

Consider that your blog is a place where you can write out your experience almost line by line. For example, share what you know about using video, blogging, making podcasts, or whatever experience you have. Illustrate how to tie it all together into a strategy. This will show what you have accomplished in your career and life.

Use free (or at least low cost) tools (such as blogspot or weebly) with inexpensive distribution to article directories (such as eZines), social media sites (such as Digg, Reddit, or StumbleUpon) so you can share your accomplishments with the world. By utilizing some basic Search Engine Optimization techniques, you can position your experience to receive high page rankings by the Google search engines so that prospective employers and customers can easily find you when they are searching for people with experience that you have.

Best sure and put your picture on your blog.

Make your About page very informative so people know who you are, what you are passionate about, and how people can contact you.

Add a speaking page so people know what you speak about at events.

By putting these items on your blog, Google will help your prospective employers and customers figure out how to promote your presence on the web.

Create a Social Media Resume

Build a profile on LinkedIn because it provides a baseline. It is like a resume with other features added in; these include your Twitter feed, blog posts can be displayed, your reading list by Amazon can be displayed, and other social media and blog sites can be listed. LinkedIn is a way to network with fellow professionals in your field and a way to find people who share common interests.

Use Social Networks for Networking

Social networks provide the opportunity for someone to know more about you through repeated interactions. For example, if we are friends on Twitter, you can see what I deem interesting enough to post in a box containing 140 characters. If we are friends on Facebook, you will learn a lot about my interests and what I like by what I put in my profile, which groups I belong to, and what I post on my wall.

One more thing about Facebook is that you can learn a lot more about me than you get on LinkedIn so you will get an enriched profile of who I am. I also have pictures on Twitpic and send Tweets that link to my various pics. My Twitter account is linked to Facebook and LinkedIn, so my Tweets are posted on both Facebook and LinkedIn. If you happen to be viewing my resume on LinkedIn and notice a tweet come in that has a link to Twitpic, you can click it and see pics of me in a social setting. That is the value of having these tools linked together as they do indeed provide an opportunity to display a more enriched view of who I am.

The social networks are great ways to provide touch points to understand someone’s personal interests, social activities, and tastes while you are learning about their professional experience as well.

Provide a Bonus by Adding a Video to Your Site

Consider uploading a video about yourself or providing a link to a video you have uploaded to your YouTube channel. There is something different and more intimate about you when you make a video … people can see who you are and how you act in a video.

Making a video is not difficult. Use a Flip video camera and shoot a short 1-2 minute video(s) on topics of interest. Transfer the video from your Flip to your computer and then upload to your YouTube channel.

A secondary benefit of pictures and videos on your blog and website is that is creates trust … it lets people who are viewing you know that you are real, and based on the way you come across on the screen, you can be trusted.

Engage Prospects, Employers, and Customers on Their Turf

Much has changed over the past few years. Popular blogs and websites now have their own job boards such as 37Signals and Tech Crunch … it is not just Monster or HotJobs. People and individuals are becoming hubs for jobs; and don’t forget Craigslist.

Sometimes, jobs are not circulating in the traditional places and the people who might want to find you are the same ones spending time online to engage them on their turf!

My own advice is for individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to establish an online presence and effectively use social media marketing strategies to reach your customers, grow your business, and generate profits.

By using the Internet to market your products and drive sales, you will be using the key tactics you need to succeed in the new economy. It is clear the next Industrial Revolution is upon us and it is indeed happening online. The Internet is the new global stage for the modern symphony of commerce. Those that learn how to leverage this most powerful of platforms will be its conductors; and they will make music, and money, at the same time.

Many high profile business leaders, including the Oracle of Omaha, suggest that if you don’t focus on being an online entrepreneur, being self-employed, or being a small business owner, it will be a very tough road in the months and years ahead; actually they say, it will be an uphill battle.

This suggestion is attracting current and former doctors, CEOs, and other members of the corporate workforce that are seeking a way to leave their established and lucrative careers. They are in pursuit of new opportunities in the world of Social Media and Internet Marketing so they can generate income, prestige, independence, and financial rewards that exceed the levels obtained by most in their previous careers.

This blog, and related posts, will continue to provide a blueprint for making money online with Internet Marketing. You will find step-by-step road maps for various parts of the Internet Marketing business. You will find material that provides an entrepreneurial game plan generating a new approach to work, family, and lifestyle. You will find tools, education, training, and support. And you will find a community of like minded entrepreneurs that are using the Internet to get out of debt, build wealth, and secure their financial future forever.

In closing, be sure to Read More of my Posts at aspenIbiz blogspot, my Internet Marketing blog; Obtain Some Tips About Being No 1 on Google at aspenIbiz My Go-To-Market Partners website; and Learn How to be Savvy with Your Money Like the Insiders at aspenIbiz The Conspiracy For Your Money blog.

I Hope You Enjoy the Posts and I Trust You Will Find Them Insightful! Let me Know What You Think.

Finally, I would like to provide Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year!