SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR JOB SEARCH

Transcription

1 SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR JOB SEARCH Vlunteer State Cmmunity Cllege Office f Career Services and Cmmunity Engagement

2 Scial Media in Yur Jb Search Scial media is a great way t stay in tuch with friends and relatives, but it als can be a useful tl in yur jb search. Emplyers are using scial media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebk, and YuTube t bth prmte their rganizatins and cnnect with ptential jb candidates. While scial media can help yu research emplyers (critical t yur jbsearch success), be sure t use it mre actively as a way t cnnect with ptential emplyers. By fllwing a few basic tips, yu can use scial media t get in frnt f hiring managers. Get Nticed There are a few key pints t keep in mind when using scial media as a jb-search tl. Create a Prfile That Gives a Psitive Impressin f Yu Think f it as yur nline resume: What d yu want it t say abut yu? Hiring managers can get a strnger sense f wh yu are, and if yu re a ptentially gd fit fr their cmpany, thrugh yur prfile. Be Aware f the Keywrds Yu Include in Yur Prfile This is particularly true fr sites fcused n prfessinal netwrking, such as LinkedIn. Many emplyers d keywrd searches t find prfiles that cntain the skill sets they re seeking in ptential hires. Dn t Include Phts, Cmments, r Infrmatin Yu Wuldn t Want a Ptential Emplyer t See Dn t Mix Persnal With Prfessinal The scial media yu use in yur jb search has t present yu as a ptential emplyee nt as a friend. Fllw the rules fr writing a resume. Make Sure Yur Prfile Is Errr-Free Yu wuldn t ffer up a resume rife with misspellings, wuld yu? Chse Apprpriate Cntact Infrmatin Yur address r Twitter handle shuld be prfessinal a simple variatin n yur name, perhaps rather than suggestive r ffensive.

3 Cnnect Many rganizatins have embraced scial media as an extensin f their hiring practices, and prvide infrmatin that yu can use t research the rganizatin and cnnect with hiring managers and recruiters. Check yur cllege/university s scial media grups: Many times, emplyers jin such grups. Check scial media grups that are fcused arund yur field f interest r career. Search fr the scial media pages, prfiles, and vides f rganizatins that interest yu. Many rganizatins pst jb descriptins, infrmatin abut salaries, and mre. Ask questins. Even smething as brad as Is anyne hiring in [industry]? may bring respnses, and asking questins abut a specific rganizatin What s it like t wrk at Cmpany X? can give yu insight int the rganizatin and its culture. Stay Cnnected Keep in tuch with recruiters r ther decisin makers yu may interact with in cyberspace. There may nt be an available pprtunity at their rganizatin right nw, but that culd change, and yu want t be cnsidered when it des. Finally, in additin t maintaining yur netwrk, use scial media t build yur netwrk. Dn t just establish a scial media presence wrk it. Reach ut. Interact. Yu will get ut f scial media what yu put int it. Curtesy f the Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers.

4 Building a Strng LinkedIn Prfile Use keywrds in yur summary statement. Many emplyers search by keywrd, s use keywrds technical terms and skills frm yur field. Nt sure what yur best keywrds are? Find prfiles f peple wh hld the jb yu d like t get and see which keywrds they use. Write shrt text. Describe yur skills and abilities in shrt bursts f keywrd-rich text. Use bullets t separate infrmatin. List all yur experience. LinkedIn, like ther scial media, helps yu cnnect with frmer clleagues and netwrking cntacts wh may be able t help yu find a jb pprtunity. It als gives an emplyer searching t fill a jb a descriptin f yur expertise. Ask fr recmmendatins. Cllect a recmmendatin r tw frm smene at each f the rganizatins where yu ve wrked. Dn t frget t get recmmendatins fr internships yu ve cmpleted. Refresh yur news. Update yur status abut majr prjects yu ve cmpleted, bks yu re reading, and prfessinal successes yu ve had, at least nce a week. This lets yur prfessinal cntacts knw what yu are ding and serves as a sign f activity fr ptential emplyers. Curtesy f the Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers

5 Persnal Branding With Scial Media Build yur brand nline and netwrk with prfessinals in yur field using scial media that reflects yur career r prfessinal gals. (Yu may want t create separate persnal and prfessinal scial media pages.) Facebk Use a prfessinal-lking picture yu can use the same picture n all f yur scial media pages. Add the fllwing t the abut sectin: internship and ther educatinal experience, a shrt bi, and links t ther prfessinal scial media. Fllw rganizatins yu re interested in t discver intern and full-time jb pprtunities, annuncements abut the cmpany, and ptential cntacts in the rganizatin. Linkedin Drp in yur prfessinal pht. Custmize yur headline with keywrds and phrases that are related t yur desired industry r prfessin. Request a cnnectin with prfessinals yu ve wrked with at internships r met thrugh netwrking channels. Be sure t persnalize yur request by ffering sme infrmatin n why yu wuld like t cnnect.

6 Twitter Use a prfessinal prfile pht. Yur cver pht can indicate yur interests. Chse a Twitter handle that will be recgnizable as yu. Tell yur stry in yur bi: university, class year, majr, and keywrds describing yur career interests. Add a link t yur LinkedIn prfile, yur persnal website, blg, and/r nline prtfli. Pinterest Drp yur prfessinal-lking picture n yur main page. Select a username that is cnsistent with yur ther scial media platfrms. Create a bi that reflects yur gals and brand. Wh are yu? Why are yu using Pinterest? What are yur prfessinal aspiratins? Create bards using images and cntent t share yur interests and experiences in yur field. Mark bards secret, if they are ging t cntain cntent yu wuld prefer t keep private. Curtesy f the Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers.