Social media is a double-edged sword when it comes to a job search. In this wired world we live in, social networking sites are key platforms that can either make or break job aspirations. These portals – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others -- give employers a holistic view of an applicant beyond his or her curriculum vitae.
CVFlash’s founder SomfoIfezue noted that social media can either boost or ruin the chances of getting hired. “Social media can have a good and bad influence on helping or ruining someone’s CV and employability. It all depends on what the person does with those mediums,” he advised. Below are some tips on how to properly use social media as a jumping board for new opportunities.
1. Manage your online reputation.
Your online profile represents who you are in real life. This may or may not reflect the entirety of your personality, but first impressions do last when it comes to online profiles. Check all of your social media accounts and make sure nothing is written in there that might hurt your chances. This includes your likes and dislikes on Facebook, your retweets on Twitter, and all of your rants, raves, and unprofessional statements. Remember that your social media profile isn’t limited to your casual friends; your hiring manager will also be able to see them.
Having a good, active, and professional-looking profile will also better your chances of gaining new networking opportunities. “You can imagine social media as a big virtual conference where you have an opportunity to start making connections,” said Lars Schmidt, head of innovation and talent acquisition at NPR. Slowly build your LinkedIn network by connecting to people within the industry while maintaining an up-to-date profile.
2. Keep connected through mobile.
Glassdoor.com conducted a survey last year concluding that 68% of people use their mobile phones to look for jobs at least once a week. Furthermore, the study stated that most of the respondents predicted that “mobile devices will be the most common way people search for jobs within the next five years.”
Also, many companies have employment processes done online which requires a LinkedIn profile connection, a task easily performed when done on a mobile device. Cleo Stockhoff, Verizon Wireless’ associate director of human resources in the Mountain Region, said that their employment candidates apply much faster and easier when using their LinkedIn accounts. “They can also set up job alerts through Verizon’s career site and receive email notifications of job openings that fit their search criteria,” she added.Another key step to getting hired faster is to stand out, and the O2 blog has several other tips on how anyone can become more visible on LinkedIn.
3. Use social media features to your advantage.
Hashtags aren’t just for staying ‘in’ or checking out what’s trending on Twitter. This special function is actually a very useful feature to filter out the millions of tweets according to your interest. In this case, hashtags like #hiring, #NYCjobs, #jobsabroad will most likely yield to most up-to-date list of probable job listings which you can explore. Because the job opening is posted on social media, it is easy for applicants to contact the hiring manager through direct messaging or replying to the tweet. Taking advantage of functions like the hashtag brings those who utilize social media closer to employment than those who remain offline. LinkedIn has the most number of features that are directed towards job search. Take time to learn all of these (including joining networks, soliciting recommendations, posting blog entries and more) on your laptop or mobile device.
Hiring managers scour social media networks not only to dig up all the dirt an applicant might be hiding, but also to find things that might give them an advantage. Participate in message boards, forums, and use your online profiles as your resume. Careful management of your online persona and active involvement in social networks can be that springboard to success you have been waiting for.
(Image courtesy of Compellingmomentum.files.wordpress.com)
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