If you have ever used a social networking site, or have friends who do, you understand that your online persona is becoming increasingly important to employers, friends and the curious. Missouri State alumnus Laura Kleecamp, a seasoned executive in the telecommunications industry, returned to campus in October to drive this point home to CNAS students in a powerful (and sometimes painful) presentation entitled “Managing your Online Presence.”
Kleecamp is principle of LAK Enterprises, LLC, a contact center and telecommunications consulting company. Prior to forming her own company, Kleecamp spent 25 years in the telecommunications industry at Sprint and Embarq. Her most recent position was director of business marketing, where she led a team of 40 in the development of business strategy and marketing programs targeted to business customers.
Kleecamp has spoken before a number of audiences, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) and business audiences on behalf of Frost and Sullivan, an industry research firm.
During each lecture, students received helpful tips on how to manage their online information. The session covered the emerging phenomenon of online persona, how search engines work, how the results they produce can be helpful or hurtful to your professional and personal life, as well as practical tips for managing how you appear to the online community.
In a powerful teaching moment, Laura “Googled” some of the students and professors in the room – live. While most of the information retrieved was accurate, much of it was not, and some was just decidedly unflattering. You could hear the collective groan as a student’s Facebook profile picture was displayed on the giant overhead screen. Kleecamp pointed out that this display was exactly what public information means – it can appear anywhere, in any context, for the rest of your life. Fortunately, Kleecamp went on to offer constructive strategies for dealing with information that may already be out there, as well as strategically placing additional information.
Kleecamp is a 1984 graduate of Missouri State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. She is a member of the Computer Science business advisory board.
Worried about your online presence? Try these quick and easy tips from Laura:
• Do drive up your own “hits.” Find the kind of information you do want others to see and view it often (number of clicks or hits = greater likelihood it will appear first when someone else searches for you.)
• Don’t be afraid to ask someone to take something down that portrays you in an unflattering light.
• Do be aware that your tweets, blogs and even personal messages are never truly private and that discerning web browsers can find nearly anything you post.
• Do write something great. Post or blog content you want others to see, or seek publication in other sources that will be referenced on the web.
• Don’t assume that people will be able to tell factual information about you from factual information about someone else who happens to share your name.