10 Tips on how to use social media for your job search Using social media has become increasingly important when searching for your dream job, in fact you would be considered a dinosaur if you are not using social networking.Trying to land the perfect job might be challenging but if you leverage social media into your job search your possibilities on getting your dream job will be greater.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Make your Facebook profile page read like your resume and make sure you have your contact information visible.
·Do not post inappropriate content or photos. Now in days employers are researching for potential employees on Facebook. Human resources does not care to seeing any drunken photos of you. Anything you post will reflect in your job interview.
Be proactive on Twitter: Twitter has become the ultimate utility to connect directly with recruiters and employees at companies you want to work for.By conducting Twitter searches, following recruiters on your account and using the “@” sign to communicate with them on occasion, you will start to learn a lot about them and their companies.
Before you follow anyone on Twitter, you HAVE TO have a completed profile. This means, you should have a short bio, the location where you’re from, a link to a site that recruiters can go to for more information (I recommend your blog or your LinkedIn profile) and an avatar of yourself (not a clown or Homer Simpson please). This way, you stand a better chance of securing an opportunity or a relationship with people who care enough to read your profile.
Capitalize on LinkedIn: It’s no surprise that LinkedIn has been extremely profitable and successful.Recruiters are starting to use LinkedIn as the main place for sourcing candidates because it’s free and the top professionals are on there.Many people don’t use LinkedIn to the best of their ability and fail to complete their profile.
We all subscribe to blogs to receive information based on our interests, at least we hope. Over time we rely on these sources for information to keep us updated on what is happening in certain industries or different trends that are developing. In the past years, the larger blogs have started to integrate job banks into their own websites, using software/ hosting from companies such as Job-a-matic.
Blogging allows you to showcase your talents to potential employers – they see how you write, see what’s important to you, see who you are personally and even see examples of your work. All that, before they even meet you. It helps make you a real person versus a piece of paper resume.
Consider posting comments on other blogs – this gets your name out there even more, and if you write something interesting, it may catch the eye of a potential employer. Social media guru Chris Brogan suggests blogging on the types of jobs you want. For example, if I want a job at a specific company doing public relations, I can blog about ideas I have for them.
Build a social media resume. Social media resumes are useful for attracting hiring managers directly to you, without you having to submit your resume, blindly, to them. Social media resumes include various multimedia elements, sharing options, integrated social networking feeds and the same elements you’d find in a traditional resume.
Get out and network! The more people you talk to, the more people you’ll meet and be introduced to.The goal of social networking is to meet as many people as possible because each introduction is a possible job lead.The best time to social network is when you don’t need something. Always work on building your social network. Friends from high school, college roommates, previous employers, relatives and long time friends are prime targets. Anytime you meet someone offline and have a decent conversation, send them a friend request while it’s fresh and in their mind.
love Loren
