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Social media has changed the way we do many things. It has changed the way we interact with our friends, changed how we share information and photos with our families, and for most, it has even changed how to find a job. Using social media can easily give you an advantage in your job search.
Use Multiple Accounts
As long as you’re presenting yourself in a positive light than the more accounts you have on a variety of sites the better. This includes not only what you post to your own profiles, but what others are saying about you, too. Your friends can sabotage your job just as quickly as you can, by posting inappropriate photos of you or talking about inappropriate activities.
Monitor your mentions frequently, and clean up offending posts before they become a problem. Separating accounts for friends and businesses is a good idea as well.
Social media has changed the way we do many things. It has changed the way we interact with our friends, changed how we share information and photos with our families and for most, it has even changed how to find a job.
Tweet ThisTake Advantage of Privacy Settings
For your “friend,” accounts make sure you take full advantage of the privacy settings or social media that could actually cost you a job (the job you have or the job you want). Most, if not all, of your postings on sites like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, should be made viewable by friends only. If left public anything you’ve said or posted can be easily seen by a potential employer if they do an internet search.
Keep in mind that some potential employers will ask for your login information to your social sites (not something that I’m a fan of – an invasion of privacy).
Watch What You Say
Even on accounts that you’ve set up strictly for business networking, such as accounts on sites like Linkedin, make sure you’re being careful with what you say. You never want to say anything that may make an employer see you in a negative light. You know the old saying, “if you have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all”.
LinkedIn Unlocked is a social selling roadmap that will help you generate a consistent flow of quality leads.
Promote Experience
Clearly outlining and discussing your strengths in the field you wish to work in is vital to personal branding. On sites like LinkedIn, you can search for questions asked by others regarding your field and provide quality answers to get your name out there. Give examples of your experience that will support why you are the best person for the role.
Don’t Spam!
Being overaggressive with self-promotion is one of the easiest ways to get unfollowed on sites like Twitter. Only share what is useful and engage in conversations with others like you would in real-world situations., Don’t be a troll.
It’s All Who You Know
Following or friending the right people can make all the difference in landing a job. It gets your name out there and connects you with others in your field. This applies to companies and businesses you may be interested in working for as well.
The key to success in the current job market is breaking through to the hidden job market. Over half of all jobs go to someone who did not apply to a posted opening at all. What are they doing and how are they doing it? They’re finding new jobs before the posting hits the Internet.
Join Groups
Signing up for groups that pertain to your field is also a good way to connect with others. You never know who you might bump into in a group, could be people already in the field, or even people looking to do some hiring. Meetup.com offers many networking groups that you can join online and even attend live events.
Perform a search
You can keep up to date on local jobs by joining three or so job search sites (like ZipRecruiter or indeed.com). Setup email notices so that you know when jobs that match your criteria are posted.
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Video Resumes
This is not a very new approach to landing a job but can be effective. YouTube has a few examples so that you can get an idea of what they look like. Take a look at video resumes.
Know Your Impact
If you also have a personal blog, use web analytics tools (like Google Analytics) to help gauge how much traffic your accounts are generating to determine if social media is adding value.
Social Media opens doors that would’ve been impenetrably closed to you in the past. Create and maintain active profiles and you can find yourself before potential employers apply for jobs that you could’ve only dreamed of. Why wait? Get social and take your job search to the next level!
Dr. Diane Hodges presents an invaluable life-enhancing guide to help you achieve your career goals.
