Media power for the people!

I've been working part-time as Feature Editor for a newspaper since 1992, and the paper reaches tens of thousands of people every month, so I intuitively understand media power.

But for most people, media power is not a concept easily understood. Napoleon, for one, truly understood the power of public opinion. He often said that newspapers are more to be feared than cannons.

Social networking software finally gives power to the people, since they can -- at the very least -- publish their profile.

Indeed, every time somebody views your profile, it's like as if you "printed" a newspaper about you, everything you've been doing, all the achievements you've done, etc.

And like any good newspaper, you need to write good, interesting stories that will captivate people. If readers don't get a good first impression, then you might have blown your chances of impressing them.

Your profile is basically a sales tool, since a hiring manager or HR director might come across your skill set, professional experience, specialized expertise, etc. and might decide to contact you.

But being visible is only the first step of self-marketing. In future posts, we'll explore how you can proactively and strategically manage other people's expectations and perceptions.

P.S. Did you know that eConcordia actually gives a course on self-marketing? Costs something like $200, yet it introduces critical marketing concepts that, I believe, would be useful to any professional who is serious about his/her career.