Visual CV is a relatively new site only being around for about a year. VisualCV replaces the conventional resume with an online professional profile. Now there are other sites that allow you to build a resume online however Visual CV is the first website that enables you to create an internet based resume alone with an integrated online career portfolio.  Not to mention you can share professional credentials and education with customers, employers, and colleagues on a secure network.

You’ll use VisualCV for:

• Professional networking
• Job searching
• Business development
• Personal brand management

The possibilities are endless when creating this profile. You can highlight text, upload a video, add links, and express personality. Visual CV is taking the user profile idea of Facebook and the business applications of LinkedIn and putting them together to create a free, simple, efficient way of promoting yourself online.

You have the ability to keep your VisualCV profile private, share it with a select group, or make it public on the Internet, so security is never an issue.

As I was researching LinkedIn, I stumbled upon an interview with Konstantin Guericke, the co-founder of LinkedIn, in which he made two very interesting points, one which connected them to Facebook and one which distanced them from Facebook.

Facebook and LinkedIn, unlike other social networks, are designed to be an extension of an already existing relationship.  This does not mean that you might not meet someone new on these sites, but their primary purpose is to keep you connected with people you already know.

Facebook and LinkedIn have been growing by leaps and bounds, and I believe it is because they are built around your current network.  Other social networks that connect people based on interest and try to build relationships that way are growing as well, but not as quickly, and seem to have less devotion from users.

LinkedIn users see that there is value in staying connected with your preexisting network, so they are willing to pay for the service.  This factor distinguishes LinkedIn from Facebook, and not because users have to pay to use the service, but because of LinkedIn founders mission ”We’re here to build a business, not to create something cool.”

A business mindset using a solid principle will continue to do well in the future.

With the increased interest in the numerous Social Medias over the past five years, you have to ask who is using them. Where demographics are produced for every site average age is what I will be discussing. Below are the top social media’s and the average age of the users.

Xanga – 15      Facebook – 27       MySpace – 35                         Twitter – 31            LinkedIn — 41

According to LinkedIn’s June 2008 demographic data, the site’s registered users seem to be an advertiser’s dream. The data claims that the average household income of its members is $110,000, 49% are business decision makers and the average age is 41.

LinkedIn gives professionals an easy way to follow advice and build networks in your field of business. It allows you to maintain resume, which is a great tool for finding a job. These two reasons are just one example of why LinkedIn has such a high average age. It is almost like a facebook is to college students as LinkedIn is to the business world. With this great social media the interviewee has the opportunity to do background research on the company and person interviewing you, separating you from your competition.

LinkedIn is one of the newest social media sites and still doesn’t have the usage of leaders like Facebook and MySpace. However, Eyres claimed that one new member signs up to the site every two seconds, adding that LinkedIn had 50% of its user base in the US and 25% in Europe. With growth like this there is no reason it cannot be viewed as a leader in social media.

Riding a wave of controversy, Facebooks’ recent change to content rights has been reversed. Facebook had planned to own rights to all the content posted by the vastly growing user base. Catching wind of this were disgruntled users with a prerogative for claiming their privacy rights. The result was a unified body of Facebook users collaborating and petitioning for a change. Facebook, in looking to keep the peace, reversed their new privacy policy stance.

Facebook’s quick about face on the privacy policy represents a significant determinant in their hopes monetize the vast about of information provided by the 170 million plus user base. The initial change in policy said that even after a member deleted their profile, Facebook owned rights to the content. Such a new policy would have enabled Facebook to have more leverage with selling and monetizing this information to advertisers and research firms. Unfortunately for Facebook, users did not respond well to the change and this newly added clause was quickly removed.

The recent events in the past week represent a signficant moment both for Facebook and million of users for the following reasons:

• Financial Struggles:Facebook, operating between 100 million to 300 million in revenue a year, have failed to find their footing on a business model that will capture the potential of the vast amount of information posted on their site without stepping on the toes of members.
• Privacy Issues:The policy reversal demonstrated to Facebook that members value their privacy. Most influenced by the recent controversy is the fastest growing demographic, members above 30. Typically these users are more hesitant about posting information on the web and as a result, their favor of the Facebook of the brand image has lowered.
• Three Strikes: According to a recent poll, two-thirds of younger uses have a favorable perception of the Facebook brand. There is one thing that may hurt this: more events in which Facebook manipulates terms of privacy. Facebook should be careful in overstepping their bounds, as demonstrated by the quick collaboration of users last week.

LinkedIn hit the nail on the head for a social media site that really is useful.  As a new user to linked in, i dont know alot of what it does but it is definately a site that i will be familiarizing myself with and using.

LinkedIn is a professional social media site that is geared towards creating job opportunities.  People create an account and say what their best at and what they want a job in, and then they select what types of jobs thier looking for.

As opposed to other social media sites, LinkedIn has a much more defined purpose.  You wont get alot of the negative stuff that goes with sites like facebook or myspace.  people want LinkedIn because it allows them to look for jobs, employees, or other colleauges.  As opposed to facebook and myspace, LinkedIn has a clear, defined purpose that brings a real need to its users.

Internet communities is becoming more and more popular, and as companies are beginning to look online for potential employees as well as customers, linkedin is a useful source to make yourself known and give a good first impression.