If you have Google Alerts set on your industry and your competitors … you do use Google Alerts, right? … then you might have seen these recently:
— Oracle CFO found through Linked In
According to Fortune, “the average member is a college-educated 43-year-old making $107,000. More than a quarter are senior executives. Every Fortune 500 company is represented. That’s why recruiters rely on the site to find even the highest-caliber executives.” (translation: passive candidates)
— For finance executives who blog, the return can be big
In Karen Bannan’s “The Blogging CFO,” published on AmEx Inside Edge, she says … “Though there aren’t many of them, finance executives who blog for their companies or themselves maintain it’s a good way to get publicity, build a personal brand, raise an industry profile, and even land a job.”
She’s right. Strong visible positioning as a subject matter expert … particularly as a CFO or other Senior Finance Executive … certainly ensures you stand out from the crowd. Why? Because I believe Finance Executives are the last bastion of invisible people and those who ride the social media wave today are leading the way. Everyone else will be forced to play catch-up.
Blogging isn’t for every Finance Executive, but a well-written Linked In profile for you and every other C-Suite Executive in your company is an excellent marketing tool – both individually and corporately.
Cindy.
As a CFO Search expert, I can say the following with certainty: If you are a CFO and do not have an active and relevant profile on LinkedIn,
– you are being passed over TODAY for potentially appropriate career opportunities, and
– investors, customers and other stakeholders of the Company you represent are looking for information on you and considering whether they should invest or otherwise do business with your Company.
In today’s world, LinkedIn is a standard due diligence tool. You are being looked up on LinkedIn. If you are not there, it says a lot about you. If you are there, your profile speaks on your behalf. My blog “What your LinkedIn profile says about you” has some of my past thoughts on this topic. http://bit.ly/ddBG82
What do you want the world to know about you and your Company? It’s in your control. Be active on LinkedIn.
Samuel Dergel, CA, CPA, CPC
Senior Partner & Practice Leader, CFO Search
Webite : http://www.cfo2grow.com
Blog: http://www.thefinancialstatement.com
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/samueldergel
Twitter: @cfo2grow and @cfo2dergel
Spot on, Samuel! With Linked In now having its own internal search engine, the Google cliche applies … You are who Linked In says you are!
I agree completely with your post and Samuel’s comments too. When I meet new people, I look them up on LinkedIn and am always turned off if they don’t have a good profile. Mine I’m sure could stand some improvement, but it is vitally important in this day and age to present yourself well.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Joel. You just confirmed my comment … you are who Linked In says you are! And to your last point about presenting yourself well, it’s true. And often, in today’s Web 2.0 world, your Linked In profile is that first impression!