Today's business professional must recognize that anything posted online has the power to affect their reputations among clients and colleagues. Online content may influence your career and alter public perceptions. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing! Take some precautions and you can affect your professionalism for the better.

Here are some helpful hints that, while based on common sense, may not be so obvious:

• Don't post photos or status updates when you call in sick...especially if you were not really sick!
• Disclosing trade secrets or classified information could lead to termination or loss of security clearance.
• Beware of libel and defamation (Libel involves the making of defamatory statements in a printed or fixed medium, such as a magazine or newspaper while defamation is the issuance of a false statement about another person which causes that person to suffer harm).
• Consider yourself a 24/7 Professional- If you are a salaried employee then you are technically always on duty. Think twice about what you post on your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or personal blog!
• Refrain from arguing! We know its archaic but please pick up the phone if you have a point of contention with someone's post. If its really none of your business, then take the high road by not responding at all!
• Be picky about who you friend. It is suggested that you review your friends lists quarterly. Don't be afraid to weed some people out. Create lists so that you can have full control over who sees what.
• Stay up to date on privacy settings!
• If you have followers on Twitter or blog subscribers, be aware of who they are!
• Always use social media on your own time and on your own computer. (Note: The Blackberry given to you by the office is a work computer!)
• Follow all social media and privacy guidelines set forth by your organization. Err on the side of a conservative interpretation and you should be pretty safe.
• If you are friends with a client/patient, refrain from discussing business with them online.
• Do not identify any client by name.

Before we close this post, there are just a few more things to consider as you navigate the wide world of social media:

• Discussion posts are often indexed by search engines such as Google. Have you ever done a search and found entries from chat rooms or discussion boards? If you post a critique on a discussion board, it is being shared and indexed by Google unless you are in a private group. 
• Your posts never die, even if you delete them. Broadcasting tools like TweetDeck and HootSuite are a great example. Messages deleted from Twitter will not be deleted from the broadcasting tools. Others can still retweet your deleted post! Be sure to post online only the things that you would wanted printed on the front page of the Washington Post!
• Be aware of any code of conduct agreements you may have signed. Is your reputation linked to your company? If so then you are accountable to someone less forgiving than dear old Granny.

If nothing else, awareness is key in maintaining your professionalism in the world of social media. Being connected online can lead to an expanded business network, a major sale; any number of positives. Its important that you use your network to promote those positives and eliminate the negatives. Happy Tweeting!

V2 Systems, Inc. is a local IT consulting firm , founded in 1990 when Guy Hinkler was laid off. He had been working for a local computer store. Though he was no longer there, clients continued to call and ask for him. As a result, Guy thought he would try his hand as an independent contractor. His first account was the City of Manassas! Business was so good (it doubled every year for the next five years) that he had to start hiring and subbing out work just so that he could oversee jobs, ensuring that the same level of quality would remain. Along the way he had to let go of a business partner who was getting him in trouble, but all in all he says that he has been realy blessed with a lot of good luck and great experiences.

For those who would seek to go out on their own, these are Guy Hinkler's tips for success:

• Find a mentor.
• If people are not performing, don't be afraid to let them go. This go for clients as well as employees!
• Know your strengths
• Relationships make things happen-Network!
• Work for a good cause; not your bottom line. People will notice your work ethic.
• Cross-Sell: be on the lookout for mutually beneficial solutions when working with your clients
• Know who the decision-maker is and what makes them happy!
• Get really active in the Chamber- Guy was on the Board of Directors for nine years

Be sure to attend the next YP Mixer scheduled for November 17th at Uno's Chicago Grill. Click HERE for all the details!

• Form 3949-A Information Referral (PDF 94K)
• Where Do You Report Suspected Fraud Activity?
   
  

When you search the blogosphere, you find others talking about the lamentable fact that many recent grads can find nothing in their given field. So it goes that those who have family support may take unpaid internships in order to gain experience in hopes that they will be hired with pay once the economy thaws. In doing this, they further put off financial independence. Others who are not so lucky as to be able to move back in with Mom and Dad are forced to grab whatever they can find to pay their bills. So where does that leave this generation who graduated between 2007 and 2010? It looks like the choices are that you opt out of your chosen field and forgo the opportunity to gain experience as an entry level rocket scientist or you work as the one who gets coffee and makes copies for the "real" rocket scientists, your nose pressed against the glass as you wonder when it will be your turn to draw a paycheck. It seems that by the time the economy picks up, these recent grads will not have the experience needed to keep up with someone fresh out of school and they may be lost in the shuffle.

What are your thoughts?

I just came back from a conference for Chamber professionals where I got some fantastic ideas for the future of our Young Professionals group. Please excuse my ebullience. This is to be the first of many posts in the new YPNova blog. Feel free to comment and leave me some feedback. For those of you who do not already know me, my name is Andrea Short and I am the Membership & Events Coordinator for the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce. I manage our Western Prince William (aka Gainesville) branch office.

So why am I starting a blog? Because its about time! We've thought about it for a while and it seems there is no time like the present to get this ball rolling. This blog will keep you informed about Chamber events and our YP group. I will also highlight great upcoming events that you might not know about otherwise. You will have yet another opportunity to build online community. You can leave feedback on recent events and give us (the committee) suggestions for what you would like to see the group doing in the future! Occasionally I will throw in links to articles that I think might be helpful to you as you seek to develop professionally. Maybe we'll even have guest bloggers every now and then.  Lets see where this thing takes us!

We are here to remind you that Prince William County is a great place to live, work, and play.  Hope to see you all at the YP Committee meeting this Friday at 10am in the main office on Center Street in Old Town Manassas.

A Business Case for a Young Professional Organization

In the coming years, US cities will be deeply affected by several national labor trends:

• The next generation of talent (“Generation X,” born 1961-1981) is smaller in size than their Baby Boomer (born1942-1960) predecessors;
• By 2012, two workers will leave the workforce for every one entering; (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• The average U.S. worker has 10.5 different jobs before the age of 35. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Free Agents - 72% of employed workers are seeking new jobs. (Source: Human Resource Management)
• By 2010 there will be a shortage of 10.3 million workers across all employment categories; (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Three out of four young professionals under the age of 28 place more importance on the quality of the community than the availability of jobs (Source: Next Generation Consulting)
• America’s 500 biggest companies will lose half of their senior managers over the next five years. (Source: Economist, October 2006)

While labor trend like these are alarming, they do not account for the psychographic, preference-based shifts that are also impacting Northern Virginia’s ability to attract and retain talent.

• Adulthood has been pushed back for young talent: “ The average age of a first marriage for an educated Gen X’er (b.1961-1981) is currently 28. By the time young talent considers “settling down” in the US cities region, they are in their late twenties and early 30’s
• Three out of four young people under the age of 28 first pick a place to live and then find a job. What can the US cities region to do position itself as one of the “best places to live” for young talent?
• When asked what makes a community attractive, young talent report that factors like “Third Spaces.” Third Spaces include things like the arts, culture, ethnic restaurants, public parks, trails, recreation areas, and farmer’s markets.
• Young talents behave regionally. In focus groups, young talent routinely report that some of the best assets a community has lie outside the community in which they live.

The winds of change- globalization, talent markets and preferences, and an economy whose value has transitioning form manufacturing to innovation- are gusting in US cities. With an increasingly competitive market for talented and educated professionals, US cities must define the unique regional characteristics that make it attractive to the next generation and position itself in the mediums and with the messages that will appeal to its target demographic.

Why Support a Young Professionals Organization?

Young Professional organizations are a critical strategy to attract and retain talent to communities because:

1. Young professionals organizations help connect young professionals (yp) to each other.  Some of the key questions yp’s ask when moving to a community are: Will I fit? Who shares my interests? Who looks like me, and how will I meet them?

2.   Young professional organizations help connect yp’s to their community. Research shows that when yp’s feel they can make a difference in their community, they are 2-times as likely to stay.

Benefits to Businesses

• Impress Candidates- showcase corporate specialties and community amenities
• Position Competitively- as a young talent friendly company
• Ease Relocation- help new recruits establish a network and learn their way around town
• Save Recruiting Costs- the networks of your best and brightest are your most valuable referral sources
• Boost Employee Effectiveness- generate satisfaction, motivation and greater productivity
• Increase Influence- leverage YP networks to built your business
• Manage Intelligently- learn to serve the needs of different generation differently

Benefits to Communities

• Stem Brain Drain- keep young talent in your community
• Capitalize On Assets- promote your community’s unique strengths
• Engage A Generation- employ models proven tot get “Free agents” plugged in
• Invest In What Matters- measure what matters to talent and use metrics to guide investment decisions
• Count Regional Assets- regional amenities are relevant consideration for young talent
• Fuel Innovation- tap talent resources to build knowledge, foster creativity, and generate new ventures
• Welcome New Residents- show them around and impart a sense of place
• Help Talent Grow Roots- foster relationships that deepen a sense of belonging
• Cultivate Leaders- prepare a new generation to lead with vision and passion
• Leverage Resources- capitalize on young hands and minds to tackle challenges
• Become a Talent Capital- attract growth industry businesses to deep talent pool

Young Professionals of Northern Virginia

The Young Professionals of Northern Virginia exists to attract and retain young talent in the Northern Virginia area. We are dedicated to finding new ways for young adults to connect with our community, grow personally and professionally, and to live life to its fullest.