Using Web 2.0 For Career Development

Web 2.0 refers to the usage of the World Wide Web as an interactive medium, inviting users to take part in shaping the content of their favorite websites. A few examples include Wikipedia, Myspace, and Del.icio.us. All these sites allow users to create their own content, which then becomes available for everyone to read. Many magazines and newspapers have done articles stating that Web 2.0 is the next evolution of the Internet and the Web, and a conscious person will want to take advantage of Web 2.0 for career development and advancement. So what can you do with Web 2.0 to further your career?

One easy way is to use LinkedIn.com's networking feature. LinkedIn is similar to Myspace and other social networking sites, which allow the user to create a specialized profile detailing their personality. However, LinkedIn is especially focused towards business use, and being "Linked In" could help enormously when you meet and network with other professionals in your field. It also can help when potential employers use the site to search for relevant candidates for a job search they're performing.

Another possible way is to self-promote by submitting relevant websites to the various Web 2.0 sites that promote sharing of bookmarks and interesting sites, such as del.icio.us and digg.com. These sites allow anyone to post a website, which then becomes publicly viewable by all site viewers. As more and more people submit a link to the same post, it becomes more highly rated and easily viewed by people coming to the site. If you are a photographer, for instance, you could submit a link to an amazing photo you took to all the different bookmarking sites, which would broaden exposure to your photography by putting the image in front of a large set of eyes.

A third popular way is to use Myspace's networking feature. Myspace is a website which allows people to create profiles unique to themselves or their band. Within a Myspace profile, you can select several different job titles as ones you would like to inform people that you are interested in. In this manner, you can start to network with other people who have profiles on Myspace and are also interested in networking about the same job. Myspace is especially valuable simply because so many millions of people use it everyday. For instance, as a writer for Helium I could choose Writing as a networking preference, and people who want to find other writers would find my profile when they searched through the networking feature within Myspace. You could then setup your Myspace profile as a kind of resume, detailing how great you are at certain tasks and giving references to backup your claims.

A commonality between Web 2.0 sites is that the ability to post content is free, and thus is a great place to market yourself and your skill set while still remaining within a specific budget to handle your personal advertising. This is in contrast to traditional methods of promotion, such as direct mail, that have high costs. Therefore if you run your own business, or feel that your name recognition is important, Web 2.0 sites can be invaluable self-promoting mechanisms, both within your industry and across the web.

In summation, Web 2.0 offers someone looking to further their career many different options for enhancing their visibility within a particular industry. Try and submit great content, across a broad range of Web 2.0 sites, and see where the technology revolution takes you!