Make It Your Job to Be More Social
There are many ways to go about using social media to your benefit, especially in a day and age where social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn see such high volumes of traffic.
With that in mind, have you turned to social media when it comes to looking for a job? If not, it would certainly help you to become more social in such pursuits.
According to a report from The New York Times, up to 45 percent of businesses now turn online to screen potential job candidates, meaning that if you are using social media, use it wisely.
Among some of the ways to properly use social media in the job hunt process:
1. Be proactive – First and foremost, you can’t have intermittent social media usage and expect it to help you out. Without turning into a spammer, you should update those social media venues which will help you in your job hunt, most notably LinkedIn. This is a great site for posting your work/education profile. Let potential employers know your updated employment background, your skill set, educational accomplishments, and any pertinent organizations you belong to. Make sure you update the page regularly, not leaving sizable gaps noticeable;
2. Be searching – As more and more employers get comfortable with social media, more of them are using sites such as Twitter and Facebook to post job notices, meaning you have yet another venue to turn to in the job search. Oftentimes, an employer will post a link via a tweet that describes an opening they currently have available. In order to best enhance your chances of getting the job, jump on the advertisement quickly, not leaving it to chance that it will be around for long. You can also scan the social media pages of some companies that you’d be interested in working for, looking to see if they are tweeting or sharing job ad links;
3. Be attentive – Give your current social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc.) the once over to make sure there is no inappropriate copy or imagery on there that could raise the eyebrows of a potential employer. This is especially important given the earlier mention of how more companies are turning to social media to check out potential job candidates. Look to see if you are also following or have befriended any individuals or companies that could be called into question by an employer should you receive a job interview. While your life outside of any job is personal, don’t take a chance that someone or something you follow might lead an employer to question your judgemental skills;
4. Be social – Lastly, being socially active in today’s Internet world can help you in a number of ways. First, more and more employers want employees who are socially active, that is can promote their companies brand and reputation in a positive light. Secondly, being socially active helps you stay in the loop as earlier mentioned when it comes to job hunting. Finally, being socially active will assist you in networking with others who may be able to help you in your job hunt.
If you have or are currently using social media to look for a job, what have your experiences been like?
About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics for a number of websites including Reputation.com.
Image Credit: 1.
Nice job! As I run a online business I will try to follow your suggestions
Thank for sharing this useful and informative article. I enjoyed reading your views on this subject matter. It’s a pleasure to read such well-written content.
Being in an online marketing business, I found the post quite productive. Thanks for sharing….