So you’ve started your job search and you have your résumé and cover letter completed and are ready to take your job search into cruise control. What you may not realize is that you are missing out on some very crucial steps that could make the difference in whether or not you get a call back from an employer or even make it past a second interview.
Today’s job searches have taken on a life of their own. Thanks in part to the growing role of social media in our everyday lives, accessing the information on companies and vice versa has never been easier. What better way to have a leg up on the competition than by knowing more about the company you are applying for than they do. Utilizing this information will not only help ramp up your job search but will also make you come across as a viable candidate who does their research.
Did you know that 92 percent of U.S. Companies are using social media in their recruiting strategy? According to a survey conducted by Jobvite, that percentage has grown tremendously over the past two years. Making sure you stay current with how the recruiting process works can also show employers that you can evolve with the latest technologies if they were to hire you.
Here are some helpful tips when it comes to your job search & social media:
– Social Image. Recruiters are doing research on you too! Make sure your profile comes across as professional. An easy way to change this would be by utilizing each site’s online privacy settings. If there are pictures or comments that aren’t something you would want your further employer seeing, you are better off removing them. If you are on LinkedIn, this is a great place to show off your skill sets and any recommendations you have. With so many different social sites, make sure you apply the same rules for Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Foursquare.
– Think Before You Post.– Do your posts tend to have a dramatic or Debbie Downer feel undertone to them? These are red flags employers look for when hiring. If you are looking for a job, make sure the only posts hiring managers see are up-beat and positive. Being cognizant of who is reading your social media site can help make the decision of what to post. For LinkedIn, share articles and blogs that are industry-related topics to the career you are pursuing. On Facebook, post more personal (but not too detailed) updates to remind your friends that you’re in the job market. However, try not to broadcast every detail in your search, especially when it comes to going in for an interview.
– Be Proactive In Your Search. Use social media to connect with recruiters, employers, and employees of companies you’d like to work for. Join – and participate in – organizations, groups, and blogs in your industry or alumni groups. Become an industry expert or thought leader.
– Do Your Research. Using social media to create your target list of companies you would like to work for, then follow-up with researching them and their employees helps you become well versed with their ideals and values. For Twitter, search using hashtags can also help to see if those particular companies are hiring. For example, if you are interested in hourly jobs, search #hourlyjobs. Prepare for a job interview by using social media to research the interviewer and find common topics to break the ice.
– Network Online. Expand your network by engaging with others with similar interests by posting, sharing/forwarding, tweeting & retweeting industry pertinent blogs and articles. Doing this will help in raising credibility for your profile in addition to encouraging others to communicate with you too. We recommend using Twitter & LinkedIn for this!
– Know Your Online Profile. Have you Googled searched yourself before? If not, it is a good idea to see how you appear online. Another great tool is Klout.com, which will measure your”Klout” score, another word for measuring engagement and interest across your social profiles. Another site you may not be familiar with is wefollow.com. This site is a Twitter directory that is structured based on common interests or categories.
With access to all of your social media accounts, employers today have a new resource to utilize when recruiting new talent. With the help of the internet and mobile devices, getting that information is ten times easier today than it was a decade ago.
By making sure that your social media profiles convey the polished professional image that you want prospective employers to, you can beat them at their own game. Follow these tips and take being socially savvy to the next level!
Kevin James Curran is an entrepreneur who specializes in online reputation management.