Social Media for Job Hunting, Really?
Are you finding your job hunting is taking too much time and isn’t giving you the result you hoped for? Perhaps it’s time to do something different! I’m certain many of you spend hours surfing the net communicating with your pals and sharing images of cut dogs and cats. Well, hear this….there is more to social networking than this! When it comes to your job hunt, it’s highly likely you’re not making the most of the free social platforms. Jessie Bland has collated the best tips for job-hunting on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to deliver you the latest status updates. 1. Create a LinkedIn profile. This social media platform still remains such an under-utilised resource by jobseekers, despite the fact that a recent survey by Jobvite.com revealed that 93% of job recruiters use LinkedIn to find qualified candidates. If you haven’t got yourself one yet, you’re significantly limiting your job-hunting market. 2. Many companies now have bespoke Twitter accounts for recruiting purposes. This account will usually be brimming with the latest vacancies at said company, including advice for applying. This gives you real-time interaction with potential employers, and means you’re less likely to miss out on that dream job! What’s more, if you have any questions about the roles, you can ping over a tweet to them, and someone’s usually ready and waiting to reply. This is also a great way to curtail possible procrastination on Twitter, as soon as you see a job alert; you’ll be reminded to keep on the straight and narrow. 3. Make announcements or updates on your social media accounts – even if you wouldn’t usually see them as traditional job-hunting channels. Asking on Facebook if anyone knows of any roles going in their company, or tweeting that you’re looking for work experience make for ideal professional statements. You may be surprised who’s already in your network that can help with your job search – it’s just a case of uncovering them! 4. Emphasise your social brand on your CV. Nowadays your social media standing is of premier importance. Your visibility online can go a long way to helping you land a job – or of course hinder you gaining your dream role – so use your social brand to your advantage. Pinpoint employers to your Twitter, your LinkedIn, your blog, online articles – but only if you’ve branded yourself effectively. After all, a Twitter feed full of profanity will not do you any favours.
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5. “Create an eye-catching headline [on LinkedIn]” says Phil Roebuck, founder of online recruitment agency Webrecruit.co.uk. “Most people don’t realise that your headline can be seen by anyone, so make sure it’s exciting and enticing. Done well, your LinkedIn headline can be used to promote your biggest accomplishments, most enticing skills and personal brand.” 6. Turn your Facebook profile to private immediately. After several updates – including the timeline feature – to the social network, you’ll be surprised to learn that your profile probably isn’t as closed off as you may have thought. Head to your timeline, click on the cog symbol next to your activity log, and you’ll be able to see what others see. Employers will Google you, and the last thing you want them stumbling across is an inappropriate status. Keep your private conversations as just that. 7. “Recommendations act as references that you can showcase, adding value to your LinkedIn profile” says Adrian Kinnersley, Managing Director of Twenty Recruitment Group. “Ask clients, colleagues, or even university lecturers to write a short comment about your skills and the benefits of working with you. It’s more credible to have other people highlighting your strengths than it is for you to list them, allowing you to sell yourself further than you can in your CV. Not only this, but if you don’t have any recommendations and another candidate does, recruiters may assume that they are better than you, and you could miss out on an interview as a result.” 8. Connect up your social media. If you have a blog which showcases your talents – whether that is writing, photography or an interest in engineering – be sure to link to it on your LinkedIn; mention it in your Twitter bio, and regularly post your latest blogs on your Facebook. This way you can build your blog hits, and start getting known in your desired industry. 9. Keep yourself up to date on the latest industry news and then get involved in conversations online. There are a multitude of LinkedIn groups available where you can start discussions or participate in others’ and show off your know-how as a thought-leader. This is a great way to get noticed by potential employers and increase your visibility in online communities. Found an interesting or thought-provoking article? Tweet about it with a short, professional opinion, and others may engage in discussion about it with you. 10. Fill your LinkedIn profile with keywords. Keep them relevant of course: but highlighting your skills and knowledge in your profile is a great way to boost your chances of being head-hunted. After all, recruiters will search for candidates using key terms and skills they’re on the search for – this includes software programs as well as industry expertise. Take a look through job adverts for roles that interest you, and highlight key criteria they’re looking for. Then add those you have to your profile. As Catherine Schlieben, Head of Recruitment for ITV, explains “if we were going to look for
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Drupal developers, we might do a search under Drupal on LinkedIn. Now if somebody has talked about being a web developer but they haven’t listed the languages that they’re familiar with, and the systems that they’re familiar with, then we’re not going to find them.” 11. “Spend a little time spring-cleaning your virtual world before you begin to expand your professional networks” advises Robert Bowyer, Director of recruitment agency Venn Group. By doing this, you’ll prevent drawing attention to an online brand that’s far from professional. Try Googling yourself too, to see what someone connecting with you may find. 12. Whether on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, be sure to follow companies you’re interested in working for. You’ll be able to view their latest news, organisation developments, and of course their all-important job openings. 13. If you’ve got a Gmail account (which can prove very handy), why not get on board with Google Plus? Although many people dismiss Google Plus as the lesser social network, it still has over 500 million members! Here you can follow companies you’re interesting in working for, as well as saving key searches or “sparks” so that you receive regular updates to your account. Widening your social media net is always recommended, especially when so many recruiters now use the web extensively to source candidates. 14. It’s important to remember who you’re connected with, and who your tweets or statuses will be read by. Michael Barnard of graduate careers website, www.milkround.com, warns: “Whenever using online and social platforms for job-hunting, stay professional – don’t treat contacts as ‘friends’ you gossip with or meet for a night out. Make an effort to keep in touch with your contacts – don’t let them forget who you are. Most of all, keep your secrets to yourself. Just as you wouldn’t want to let an interviewer know your whole history, neither should any of your contacts.” Remember this….every Tweet, Facebook comment or Google Plus says something about you and your character. Each post you put online is a piece of your personal jigsaw that employers all over the world have access to.
So have you checked your online footprint, and how well are you using social media to connect with potential employers? Need help? We are now able to offer you our unique guide, ‘Social Media
for Jobseekers’, that will take you through the individual steps required to get yourself a 100% complete LinkedIn profile, in addition to providing further tips on making the best use of Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, You Tube and other networks to engage with potential employers. Yours for just £6 (normal price £14.99). Contact wayne@journeytowork.net for further details.
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