How 'Presence' Is Changing In The Digital Era

"Think back to the last time you met someone new at work. Odds are, it wasn't in a boardroom or at a networking mixer-it was over Zoom, through Slack, or by clicking on their LinkedIn profile. That's how careers work now. shows that first impressions are made in seconds and can linger long after. And in the era of hybrid and remote work, those impressions are increasingly happening online."

"For years, we've treated presence as something you "turn on" when you're in a meeting, or as a synonym for "executive presence." But presence consists of more than charisma in a conference room. It also includes how you show up in the small moments. It's in the casual hallway chat, the way you lead a virtual meeting, the tone of your email, the introduction you give at a networking event."

"Most importantly, Lee argues presence is both how you're seen and where you're seen. You have a video presence. A chat presence. An email presence. A LinkedIn presence. And whether you realize it or not, each of these moments shapes your reputation. Presence isn't something you're born with. It's something you practice, day by day, in the spaces where people experience you."

First impressions form within seconds and increasingly occur online through video calls, chat, and social profiles. Presence extends beyond in-person charisma to include small moments such as hallway conversations, virtual meeting leadership, email tone, and networking introductions. Presence involves both how people see someone and where they see them, with distinct video, chat, email, and LinkedIn presences that together shape reputation. Presence develops through daily practice rather than innate traits. A career brand is the story people tell about someone when absent and can be structured using the EPIC framework: Experiences, Personality, Identity, and Community.

Read at Forbes