As the world of social media continues to evolve and grow it can open a job hunter up to pathways, opportunities, information and potential connections that they might not realised they could previously have access to. With a strong and active social media presence, a professional profile and an understanding of the best ways to use it towards your own ends, it can really give your job hunting a boost.
Can I find a job through social media?
Social media offers the opportunity to communicate, follow, research, investigate and connect to a massive range of people, companies and organisations. If you use social media effectively it can definitely assist your job hunting. More and more organisations are using social media outlets to promote their company as well as their vacancies in addition to more traditional methods. Increasing numbers of companies and recruitment agencies are now moving their recruitment processes completely to social media platforms. A Job Hunter is now in the position to research, investigate, follow and apply for positions directly via social media platforms as well as engage and connect with people and organisations making it a very powerful tool in their job hunting mission.
However, it’s vitally important to remember to be ever careful with all your online personas ; using social media well in your job search is as much about moderating your output as it is about researching other’s input.
Some Social Media "dos"
Creating a LinkedIn profile is a "must" for any potential job seeker. Not only does LinkedIn give you the opportunity to publicise your skills, qualifications and workplace experience down for anyone to see, it’s a perfect place to network, make connections, gain endorsements, recommendations and engage in industry relevant discussions and extend your reputation in your industry sector.
There is a huge amount of online advice about creating the perfect LinkedIn profile which is worth exploring via a quick Google search – from uploading the best style of photo to writing the perfect personal summary etc. Connect and make contact with people you’ve worked with or for in the past; you never know which contact is the one who’ll open up an opportunity for you, while joining Groups and participating in discussions can help you keep up with industry news, follow companies and enhance your reputation, online profile and status.
Facebook, Google +, Twitter, You Tube, etc can be an excellent way to follow recruitment companies like us, as well as companies and people you may be interested in working for, as it’ll help you be one of the first to know if they start advertising a vacancy. You’ll also get more of a feel for what the company is about and all their news and developments – all excellent resources for the active job hunter.
Social media can be a great way to ‘Share’ jobs advertised online, news and online information and many Job Hunters have friends, family and colleagues helping them with their job hunting by passing on items they've seen online quickly and easily, so don’t forget to spread the work that you’re on the lookout for a new Job.
Some social media "don’ts"
It’s vital to remember that everything you put online through your social media outlets can and WILL be searched for by potential employers.
Check your Privacy settings on all your social media outlets and postings, including photo tagging permissions for other people! It’s definitely worth making your Facebook profile private if there’s anything on there you wouldn't want a current or prospective employer to see! You should be careful about what you post on Twitter and where and how it may perceived – Tweeting constantly all day, for example, is unlikely to paint you in the most professional light!
It might be worth thinking about having a separate professional social media accounts which you can use solely for job-hunting.
And finally,
As always, first impressions are all important and that includes anything that prospective employers can see and read online about you – make your Social Media work FOR you – not against you!
Google yourself!
If you have Chrome on your PC, go Incognito and Google yourself and see what a prospective employer could find out about you with one quick search online - you might be surprised just where you pop up!
The Futureactive team have a variety of Top Tips for Job Hunters including CV Guides and and Interview tips are always happy to discuss how best to promote yourself, your skills and qualifications and experience in the best light for potential employers please take a look at some of our other Careers Advice pages on the website.
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