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For many people, social media sites are exactly that; a place to socialize and keep in touch with friends and relatives. Increasingly, however, social media platforms are being turned to other purposes. Twitter has been used to foment revolution and social media marketing continues to be a buzzphrase for businesses of all sizes and shapes
Social media sites have also started to play an increasingly important role in the job market. While online job boards are increasingly prevalent, many jobs are never advertised. networking plays an important part in many people’s job hunting activities. Although the value of meeting people face to face should never be underestimated, social media sites can help you make contacts in the first place. Any extra advantage can be vital in an overcrowded job market.
Think about your profiles
Social media sites can be useful for finding jobs but they can also result in you missing out or even losing an existing one. Even if you’re applying for jobs by more traditional methods, recruitment managers increasingly take a look at prospective employees’ social media profiles as part of a general background check. Risqué or inappropriate photos and controversial comments could lead to you being ruled out of the race for a job without you even being aware of it, while unguarded rants about your existing employers could land you in hot water.
Social media sites have also started to play an increasingly important role in the job market. While online job boards are increasingly prevalent, many jobs are never advertised. networking plays an important part in many people's job hunting activities.Click To TweetIf you’re using a site to look for work, make sure your profile is professionally presented. Provide a summary of your skills and employer-friendly qualities. If you want to maintain one or more profiles for purely personal content, then check the privacy settings and don’t link them to your more professional profiles.
Find the right people and platforms
Instead of searching for jobs, it can pay to use LinkedIn to look for specific roles. Any social network can potentially be used for job-hunting purposes and there are also a host of industry-specific social media sites springing up. These may involve forums, job boards, and news and features allowing you to keep abreast of developments within the industry.
There are currently dozens if not hundreds more, catering to professionals from all fields and walks of life.
Use Facebook indirectly
For many people, Facebook is their personal space and they might not always appreciate being directly approached or tapped up for jobs. Unless you’re the sort who expands their friends list indiscriminately you should at least know who your Facebook contacts are. But it can be easy to lose touch with people and you may not know what each now does for a living. Updating your status or posting notes concerning your job-seeking status might just yield advice, contacts, or even a job offer from an unexpected source. People with whom you have a closer relationship might be more open to a direct approach and you should use your own judgment here.
Use Twitter sparingly
Twitter allows you to make contact with people you don’t know based on common interests, making it a great way to network and build up contacts. Job vacancies are increasingly posted on Twitter but, while it’s easy to tweet at hundreds of people across a number of sectors and jobs, don’t forget that people can look through your stream and see these tweets. Prospective employers like to think that you’re particularly interested in working for them. You don’t want them to think that you’re simply playing a numbers game.
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Make the best use of LinkedIn
As the world’s leading business-oriented social media site (as of August 2012 its own statistics claimed more than 175 million members in over 200 countries) LinkedIn presents a perfect opportunity to establish professional networks and boost your job-seeking chances. Fill in your profile as completely as possible – many people never reach the ‘100% complete’ notification – and highlight your skills, experience, and qualifications. Cast your net as widely as possible when it comes to building
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