Leveraging Social Media to Find a Job
Social media can be a powerful tool in your search for employment. Knowing how to use social networks the right way can set you apart from other candidates. To help you out, we’ve laid out a few tips to help you make the most of your professional social media presence. From LinkedIn to Facebook and even Twitter, effective social media use can go a long way toward landing your dream job.
Below are some things you can use to optimize your social media and really put it to work for you during the long grueling process that is looking for a full-time job.
Follow your future employers
Liking and following companies on social media outlets will keep you in the loop about what’s going on and even get a jump on their openings. A vast number of unemployed people scour all of the major job sites. Far fewer people pore over company social media feeds, so be sure to follow the companies you think you want to work for on Twitter, Facebook and whichever other platforms on which they have a presence and are active.
Be engaged
Social media, when used in the job search context, is all about networking. Networking requires interaction with other users. Being involved in conversations with other users can allow you to flex your knowledge muscles and posting content allows potential employers to see what you can do. Engaging in the banter of social media can also help you improve your job search process by using the suggestions of others. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have groups you can join to meet people, get advice and network, which leads us to our next tip.
Build your network
Social networks exist for you to get in touch with other people. The whole purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with other professionals in order to find employment and people to hire, depending which role you’re in. Even if you don’t know the person in the physical life, it can’t hurt to send them a request to connect. Who knows? Perhaps you can find some common ground and strike up a conversation that leads to an in-person meeting. The worst they can do is not accept your invitation to connect.
LinkedIn offers a whole slew of job postings in your respective field and the site shows you how many connections and people from your school work for each company. Northwestern College boasts a robust alumni base and connecting with them can help you land a job at their company. You can follow NC on LinkedIn and see alumni by following this link: https://www.linkedin.com/school/northwestern-college_2/ .
Create a relevant persona
Tailor your social media profiles to fit the kind of job that you are looking for. Be sure to flaunt your skills and leave no doubt in the employer’s mind as to why you would be the perfect candidate to fill an opening they may have.
Asking for endorsements on LinkedIn is a good way to buff up your profile. Getting endorsements from current and previous employers gives you an added layer of credibility because it shows recruiters that you’ve put those skills to work in a professional setting.
Avoid asking for a job outright
This is a taboo in the world of social media use for professional purposes. Not only does it make you look desperate, but there also happens to be a specific way to go about asking for a job: an application. Your social media accounts should act more like supplemental resources to your application that recruiters can use to make the best assessment of your fitness for the job.
Instead, if there doesn’t happen to be an application or a career’s page on the company website, try sending a message to the company about potential openings. Even if there aren’t any at the time you are reaching out to them, they still might want to talk to you and get a better idea of your qualifications. Many companies are always looking for talent even if the absence of job postings may indicate otherwise.
Northwestern College is here to help you find your dream job. Contact our Career Development for assistance with your questions, concerns and other job-related needs.
Sources:
http://www.gijobs.com/7-ways-to-leverage-social-media-in-your-job-search/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-berry/job-hunting-social-media_b_1366055.html
http://blog.indeed.com/2017/10/20/leverage-social-media-in-job-hunt/