Social media can be a powerful tool to meet new people and create new opportunities for yourself. However some people confuse this opportunity with sitting behind their computer and sending out their resume to everything breathing. Or by posting in employment groups constantly looking for jobs. This is not job hunting.
This article will show you 6 ways you can properly use social media to find a job, put these tips in place with your normal job hunting routine to create an effective job search campaign.
1 Create a separate profile just for job hunting
Potential employers don’t need to know what you did last weekend. Jokes between your friends and family can come off as unprofessional and be the difference in getting hired or not. It is a good idea to either solely use your social media account for job hunting or create a separate profile.
Keep your job profile clean and professional. Don’t spam multiple groups saying you are looking for a job. Posting in groups like this is not job hunting. Take the time to properly build a solid cover letter and resume and use social media to find companies to apply at.
Your reputation is extremely important especially on the internet. You wouldn’t walk up to a business executive on the street and outright ask him for a job, so why are you doing this with social media? People who sit behind their computer and post in multiple groups come off as lazy and their job search is misguided.
Instead, try to make connections with the right people and let them see you are an intelligent, qualified candidate by updating your statuses several times a week, providing content to the groups you join and maintain an overall air of professionalism while you look for a job.
3 Join Linked in
LinkedIn is the largest growing job social media network. You need to be on here if you are looking for a job online. Did you know that 93% of recruiters and 38 percent of job seekers are using LinkedIn? Sign up for an account before reading on.
To be efficient at LinkedIn you must take the time to build a professional profile – a flimsy profile will get you ignored. Once you’re armed with a good profile take the time and make connections with people. Refer to step 2 and build a connection with them.
It’s also important to have a proper plan in mind when you set out to use social media as part of a job search. Try and find ways to organize your time amongst all the networks and always set aside time to update your content ( articles, resumes, cover letters) And always look for ways to automate your posting on social media ( IFTT for example)
By organizing your time you’ll have a more efficient search and you’ll be able to maintain a professional profile that doesn’t come off as spammy. Perhaps make your goal to make connections with 2 people of day that work in a company you are interested in.
5 Google yourself
Type your own name into Google and see what comes up. This is exactly what employers will be doing so it is important that you know what is coming up. As said before your reputation is important and it’s necessary you do what you can to protect it.
If you see anything undesirable, contact the website and ask for it to be removed.
6 Use the ‘mother’ test
If you wouldn’t want your mother to see it, don’t post it. Inappropriate photos and foul language can all be red flags for employers.
Keep your personal and professional links separate. Change your privacy settings so that people have add you in order to see your profile.
Key takeaways:
- Maintain a professional profile at all times
- Don’t ask for jobs – build relationships and earn them
- Remove all undesirable content
- Make a solid plan
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