The importance of social media as a vehicle for finding employment cannot be overstated. In today’s connected economy, social media enables the job hunter to network, learn about companies, and advertise his or her experience and expertise.
Here are a few tips on using social media in the job search.
1. LinkedIn
This is pretty much your one-stop shop for job hunting. More than 560 million people are now on LinkedIn, making it one of best places to network. But there is a lot more you can do on LinkedIn, and job candidates need to take advantage of all the opportunities.
For example, make sure your profile is up to date. Sell yourself effectively – follow the format you would use on a resume with bullet points, short phrases, creative headlines, and short summaries focusing on accomplishments using facts and figures. You can be sure that potential employers will be looking at your profile.
Include work samples, recommendations and endorsements. Join professional groups on the site and participate in group discussions. Write a blog. It is also a great place to look at job postings.
2. Facebook
This is another great networking site because of the contacts that users accumulate. You should ask contacts for help in notifying you if they know of any job openings in your field, and in providing referrals for jobs. Here you can also participate in groups of people who have interests similar to your own as another way of networking.
Businesses also post job advertisements here.
3. Instagram
This social media site is another way to advertise your expertise, to establish your brand, and to show your skill at using social media. You can also use it to gather information about companies you are interested in. For example, employees may post pictures of events or activities that will help you gain some insight about the business.
4. Twitter
This is another good place to showcase your expertise. It gives you the opportunity to post ideas and information that may be of interest to other people in your field. Also, because Twitter is a more casual, free-form medium, job candidates can communicate more directly with recruiters and hiring managers.
5. YouTube
YouTube enables you to post video samples of your work. Or you can use it for such things as an elevator pitch to employers. This social media platform has over one billion users, so it is a great place to increase your exposure.
At Opti, we look beyond the resume and the job description, because making a good hire is about more than just a matching skill set. It’s about personality and culture fit, business perspectives, work ethic, management style, long-term company and career goals and more. We see the big picture. Contact Opti today
