Job seekers who use social media have a competitive edge over those who don’t use social media
How’s this for a strong number? More than 80 percent of employers now use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find new hires! This is according to recruiting platform Jobvite. Here is the breakdown:
Employers use social media sites to learn about the “real you.” Of course, you will put your best foot forward on your paper resume, but how do you conduct yourself online? Who are you networking with online? LinkedIn is a great professional networking site that allows you to connect with other professionals in your area, or nationwide, and received recommendations from your colleagues. For those reason (and more) LinkedIn is the online resource of choice by the majority of employers who participated in this survey.
Be mindful of the way you portray yourself on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Employers use these sites to see how you conduct yourself when you think only your “friends” and “followers” are watching. If you are interviewing or looking for a job, it might not be a good idea to post those Spring Break pictures!
So, how can you use social media to attract the attention of employers? Check out this top ten list provided by Fortune Magazine online:
1. Think of your online persona as a brand. Identify the skills that set you apart from the crowd. “Your brand should define the areas where you specialize, and make a persuasive case for the value you can bring,” says Chambers.
2. Use your professional headline to showcase your abilities. On LinkedIn, the headline right below your name is “an especially important part of your branding,” Chambers notes. Rather than just stating your current (or most recent) job title, the headline “should consist of keywords that accentuate the range of what you can do.”
3. Position yourself as an expert in your field. Your LinkedIn profile should “include searchable keywords that cover the depth of your experience and skills,” Chambers says. “Employers often use social media sites to search for solutions to specific problems, and your expertise may be what they are looking for.”
4. Check carefully for any discrepancies between your resume and your online profiles. “Dates of employment, titles, and other details have to match those on your resume precisely,” says Chambers. “Employers will pick up any inconsistencies right away.” Even a small, innocent error can make you look dishonest or just careless — not the first impression you want to create.
5. Join LinkedIn and Facebook groups comprised of people in your field. You may well meet prospective employers this way, and “answering questions from other group members and discussing the latest industry trends is a great way to stay current in your field.”
6. Include your LinkedIn URL in the signature block of your emails. Doing so encourages people to click on your profile, and the more activity your profile gets, the higher up your name will appear in a search.
7. Make sure you adjust the privacy settings on your profile to “public.” You want employers to find your LinkedIn profile when they Google you, so “adjust your privacy settings to accept InMail, a service that is often used by recruiters,” says Chambers.
8. Devote a Facebook page to your professional life, in addition to your separate, personal Facebook page. Include the same information that appears on LinkedIn, perhaps with a few more colorful details — a photo of you giving a speech to a professional group, for example, along with a synopsis of what you said. A Facebook page that is strictly work-related gives you one more opportunity to impress potential employers when they go fishing online, so why not use it to the fullest?
9. Keep your social media profiles updated. “Give meaningful status updates, such as links to your blog if you have one, to show that you’re continuing to develop your expertise,” Chambers suggests.
10. Include brief reports on your job search in your status updates. This is especially important if your job search goals evolve over time, or if you acquire any new training or qualifications as you go along. Even if that’s not the case, it never hurts to remind your connections every now and then that you’re available. One of them may know of the perfect job opening for you.
Has social media helped you network or find your job? If so, I’d love to hear about it!!
Employers use social media sites to learn about the “real you.” Of course, you will put your best foot forward on your paper resume, but how do you conduct yourself online? Who are you networking with online? LinkedIn is a great professional networking site that allows you to connect with other professionals in your area, or nationwide, and received recommendations from your colleagues. For those reason (and more) LinkedIn is the online resource of choice by the majority of employers who participated in this survey.
Be mindful of the way you portray yourself on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Employers use these sites to see how you conduct yourself when you think only your “friends” and “followers” are watching. If you are interviewing or looking for a job, it might not be a good idea to post those Spring Break pictures!
So, how can you use social media to attract the attention of employers? Check out this top ten list provided by Fortune Magazine online:
1. Think of your online persona as a brand. Identify the skills that set you apart from the crowd. “Your brand should define the areas where you specialize, and make a persuasive case for the value you can bring,” says Chambers.
2. Use your professional headline to showcase your abilities. On LinkedIn, the headline right below your name is “an especially important part of your branding,” Chambers notes. Rather than just stating your current (or most recent) job title, the headline “should consist of keywords that accentuate the range of what you can do.”
3. Position yourself as an expert in your field. Your LinkedIn profile should “include searchable keywords that cover the depth of your experience and skills,” Chambers says. “Employers often use social media sites to search for solutions to specific problems, and your expertise may be what they are looking for.”
4. Check carefully for any discrepancies between your resume and your online profiles. “Dates of employment, titles, and other details have to match those on your resume precisely,” says Chambers. “Employers will pick up any inconsistencies right away.” Even a small, innocent error can make you look dishonest or just careless — not the first impression you want to create.
5. Join LinkedIn and Facebook groups comprised of people in your field. You may well meet prospective employers this way, and “answering questions from other group members and discussing the latest industry trends is a great way to stay current in your field.”
6. Include your LinkedIn URL in the signature block of your emails. Doing so encourages people to click on your profile, and the more activity your profile gets, the higher up your name will appear in a search.
7. Make sure you adjust the privacy settings on your profile to “public.” You want employers to find your LinkedIn profile when they Google you, so “adjust your privacy settings to accept InMail, a service that is often used by recruiters,” says Chambers.
8. Devote a Facebook page to your professional life, in addition to your separate, personal Facebook page. Include the same information that appears on LinkedIn, perhaps with a few more colorful details — a photo of you giving a speech to a professional group, for example, along with a synopsis of what you said. A Facebook page that is strictly work-related gives you one more opportunity to impress potential employers when they go fishing online, so why not use it to the fullest?
9. Keep your social media profiles updated. “Give meaningful status updates, such as links to your blog if you have one, to show that you’re continuing to develop your expertise,” Chambers suggests.
10. Include brief reports on your job search in your status updates. This is especially important if your job search goals evolve over time, or if you acquire any new training or qualifications as you go along. Even if that’s not the case, it never hurts to remind your connections every now and then that you’re available. One of them may know of the perfect job opening for you.
Has social media helped you network or find your job? If so, I’d love to hear about it!!
How’s this for a strong number, 83 percent of employers now use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find new hires! This is according to recruiting platform Jobvite. Here is the breakdown:
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