The days are gone when you have to move from office to office, file in hand, searching for a job. The world has been made a global village with the invention of computers and internet services. The social media networks also came into place and made the whole thing easier and beautiful. Now, you can lie down right in your bedroom and get any of the choicest jobs available.
But then, don’t forget that nothing good actually comes that easy. You can only find it easy if you are well acquainted with how to go about it. Yeah, if you are handy with the strategies that’ll make it work, then the world of job search is right under your feet.
Here are 10 proven ways the social media can help you grab your desired job.
1. Create a Visible Profile – Be Outstanding
This is achieved by creating a standard profile on social media platforms of interest. For instance, a personal profile on LinkedIn acts as your online CV and is a great way to showcase your experience. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date, complete and matches the CV you’re sending out. LinkedIn is one of the most recommended as it focuses on work and achievements. So, it is more professional than Twitter and Facebook and is widely used by recruiters to source candidates.
If you’re interested in a specific company, follow its social media accounts to be the first to hear about new job opportunities. Whichever social media you choose, make sure you have a completed profile as this increases your visibility status to recruiters. You can also get your former employers, old teachers or senior colleagues to write a recommendation or attestation on your behalf to boost your resumé.
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2. Go Professional and Technical – Showcase Your Expertise
Let your social accounts show off your talent for you. While writing your CV or filling your profile in any social media channel, endeavor to use keywords that explicitly pinpoint the assets you have in form of relevant skills, experiences, and achievements.
The things that really matter are the qualities you bring to the position that will have the greatest impact. What are your skills? What are your interests and passion? These should be clear on whichever social media accounts you are using. If a viewer has to muddle about to understand your skills, he/she will quickly move on. Don’t forget to update your virtual resume; always expand and alter your profile as your work experience, skills, connections, and education grow.
3. Describe Yourself – Be Authentic
Inasmuch as the most important thing in a job search is your professional skills, it’s also very important to be real and genuine. Do not paint an over shining picture of yourself; don’t stray so far away from the truth that you create a picture that’s completely different from who you really are. It’s a bit like lying on your CV – you don’t want to do that.
Feel free to express who you are without making exaggerations. You do not have to create an impression of being a programmed stereotyped robot who’ll take the job as his whole life if given the opportunity. If you eventually share common interests with your interviewer outside of the company, it’ll be a plus that’ll certainly leave a memorable impression. People enjoy working alongside others who have charisma and intelligence, who can contribute to thoughtful discussions. People who have a sense of humor and interesting hobbies are also desirable but you don’t need to climb mountains at the weekend to land your dream job!
4. Use More Than One Social Media Channel
It is often preferable to key into more than one channel while searching for a job through the social media. It widens your scope, thereby increasing your chances of landing a good job as quickly as possible. You may end up having to choose between options. Employing several social media networks will also help to increase your versatility, connections and consequently your exposure and experiences, making you stand a better chance of securing a job opportunity and also doing well in it.
5. Don’t Fold Your Arms – Research
It is advisable to get as much information as possible about companies or industries of interest before and after sending applications across to them. This will go a long way to help you find out and emphasize the most relevant skills in your application. It also helps you to work on yourself while you wait for the chance of being summoned for an interview. You should also keep track of their events, activities and related discussions online, participating and contributing whenever and wherever necessary. Following a company’s social media channels is a great way of understanding the company’s culture and how it communicates with customers.
6. Networking – Establish Strong Contacts
Networking is actually what social media is all about. The key to finding a great job is to let as many people as possible know you’re looking. Look for pages which are related to the industry or profession you are interested in and contribute to topical conversations to expand your knowledge and make new contacts. Make sure you add in a thoughtful note when inviting people to connect. This will attract them and also set you apart from others who are simply using the typical “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” message. Don’t be afraid to engage with leaders in your industry — send them a tweet, tag them in a post, or link them to a conversation. Your LinkedIn connections and Twitter followers help communicate credibility, implying potential leads for future business, illustrate your interests, and reinforce the professional image you’ve presented to an employer.
Also, know that networking is not only about making contacts and building relationships that are directly related to your area of job search. Even when you don’t think the relationship will benefit your career goals, still nurture them as you never know how the acquaintances you make will affect your future.
7. Maintain Your Online Presence – Polish it!
Employers are not just logging on to dig some dark sides of you, they are just trying to get a fuller picture of a potential employee. Substantiate your expertise by participating in discussions, maintaining a blog or website, and providing feedback on the topics you have experience in. Search for discussions on LinkedIn and Twitter and participate with your own opinions and feedback. You may not be displaying any negative qualities through your social media, but inactivity doesn’t show off any good qualities either. It has been evidently proved that some recruiters found something on a social media profile that confirmed their decision to make the candidate an offer, including having a wide range of interests.
LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook chats are great ways to meet like-minded people and demonstrate your passion and interest in select industries. Jobs are posted frequently in these chats as well, which becomes an additional outlet for your job search.
8. Keep Clean Social Media Accounts – Don’t Trust Privacy Settings!
Reports have shown that more than one-third of employers use social networks to screen potential candidates. This means that what a company can find out about you online could affect your job application. Sometimes, job seekers make the costly mistake of thinking their drunken snaps are safely hidden away from the prying eyes of the future employer.
They keep working hard in their online job search, not knowing that some foul odor from their social media posts which are visible to employers are spoiling the whole show. It is best to maintain clean and unquestionable posts but if you MUST dish out something you think may be unacceptable, make sure you have your privacy settings locked down, making it visible to your target audience only. However, the safest measure to take is to keep clean. Don’t depend on privacy settings as they are known to change at some point, this could render your job search unfruitful.
9. Understand the Social Media
For effective Job search, you need to know beyond just managing your personal profile to be able to fully benefit from the social media. You need to be social media savvy; being able to understand how it works generally, especially in relation to how employers use them to reach and recruit suitable employees. Your expertise in the use of social media channels can give employers hints on how well you could also use them for their benefit if you are employed. Your understanding of the proper use of the social media for job search will determine whether you’ll spend hours blasting resume buckshot to the entire Internet, or tailor your message and master a plan of attack so that you’re meeting the right people at the right time.
10. Be Patient – Hang On
It’s easy to get discouraged, especially if you’ve spent countless hours submitting applications. Do not depend solely on the applications you submitted, but always make room for the possibility of not receiving a response. It will motivate you to source for alternatives instead of idly waiting.
However, you still have to remain positive and keep trying until you achieve your dreams. Get involved in some other beneficial activities while you wait. You could engage in hobbies and find a good way to pass time. It is easier to overcome discouragement when you do not form the habit of having overreaching hopes of being called up.
