In today's technologically advanced environment, many people are
using social media tools to communicate with friends and family, and
reconnect with old acquaintances. But, should you use social media to
look for work? Absolutely!
However, before charging out and jumping on the social media
bandwagon, I think it is important to understand how to utilize social
media to attain the most positive results.
In the first post of this two-part series, I will cover why job
seekers might want to use social media as an avenue to attain a job, the
types of tools available, and some guidelines. In Part Two, I will
share stories of people who have successfully utilized social media to
land a great job.
Why Should Job Seekers Use Social Media?
Social media tools can be very helpful in the job search, if utilized
wisely. They can help highlight your expertise, provide visibility in
search engines when HR or Recruiters decide to Google your name, and
allow you to network with current / former colleagues and friends who
may be able to assist in your goal of landing a great position.
What Social Media Tools Should Job Search Candidates Use?
While there are many social media tools available to job seekers, I
am going to cover the major players. It is important to not only know
what they are, but how they differ, and the methods to successfully
utilize them.
Blogs:
Blogs (aka Weblogs) can be utilized by job seekers to show their
expertise in a certain subject matter or industry. Successful blogs have
a consistent brand - the readers have a clear picture of who the
blogger is and can identify a consistent theme to the posts.
In a blog, job search candidate can convey information on industry
trends, provide opinions on topics (without offending or bashing
anyone), and seek to educate readers. The content should be engaging and
useful to the reader.
Putting together a blog is rather easy. There are several free
services available, including WordPress and Blogger, that can walk you through the process of
establishing a blog.
If you aren't technically savvy, I would suggest enlisting the help
of someone who is. If you don't have friends or family members who can
help, you can have your project completed rather inexpensively on Elance.com.
LinkedIn.com:
LinkedIn is a free website where you can develop
your professional network and look for jobs. It is the most prominent
tool used today by recruiters to source "active and passive candidates."
On LinkedIn, it is important to convey your personal brand with a
strong profile and "job title." When using this tool, I would suggest
linking with people who can help with your job search, which includes
current or former colleagues, customers, vendors, etc.
One very important measurement recruiters use when reviewing
candidates profiles is the amount of solid recommendations you have on
your profile. They need to be very specific to your expertise and from
individuals who have directly worked with you in some capacity.
While the "magic number" of recommendations hovers around 3-5, I
would suggest you tap into your network and obtain as many
"comprehensive" recommendations of your expertise as possible.
Remember though - networking is a two-way street. If you ask for
recommendations, be sure to provide them, as well.
Facebook:
Facebook is a great place to connect with old /
current friends and family, and if you want, current / former
colleagues. It is more of a relaxed atmosphere than LinkedIn. However,
stay true to your brand, and don't post information that is too personal
or pictures that show you in a bad light.
While you can set your "home page" as "public," I would suggest
setting your other pages to "friends only." This way, your private
information and photos cannot be seen by HR Managers and Recruiters.
Twitter:
Twitter is a great tool to convey information in a
very concise way - you only have 140 characters to get your information
out there. The posts you make on Twitter are called "Tweets."
So, what should you "Tweet" about? You can post a short description
and link to a blog post you wrote or specific industry information
gleaned from articles you have found on the Internet, such as,
"SalesForce.com introduces new tool (then link to the article)." You
can also "Tweet" general factual information you have found through
research, for instance, "38% of computer users are switching to Mac."
You will need to have an account to "shorten" your URLs so your
"Tweets" don't surpass the 140 character limit. I suggest Bit.ly,
as it allows you to track how many people have clicked on the links
included in your Tweets.
Also, a great book has recently been published regarding how to use
Twitter in your job search: The Twitter Job Search Guide: Find a Job and Advance
Your Career in Just 15 Minutes a Day.
Guidelines for Effectively Using Social Media
Here are some general and specific guidelines to follow when using
social media:
General Tips:
- Post a picture of yourself on all of your social media pages.
However, make sure the photo is a professional head shot. There are
several freelance photographers listed in US-Photographers
or formal portrait studios, including B2BPortraits
or JC
Penney that can provide you with a digital photo format.
- Establish your brand and stick to it.
- Don't write about controversial topics unless it relates to your
personal brand.
- Make sure what you are writing is fact-based - not some information
or trends you have made up.
- Make sure your opinions on a particular topic are useful and
positive.
- Contribute to "conversations" on other people's blogs. But, do it in
a positive, meaningful way. Post information that solves problems - not
creates more discourse.
- Remember that your reputation is key to your success - don't bash
other people or products.
- Think before you post. If what you are writing can be misconstrued,
don't write it.
Blogs:
- Do not write blog posts that are inconsistent with your brand. An
example would be a computer expert blogging about different programs and
/ or industry trends. Then, out of the blue, he posts a message about
Healthcare Reform. Unless he can tie information technology to health
care reform, then the post should not be written.
- Don't post 10 blog topics in a week and then not post for a month.
The key to successful blogging is to be consistent. If you only have
time to blog once a week, that's fine. Just set a day every week to
write a blog post and stick with it.
Twitter:
- Do find and follow other experts who don't directly compete with
you. For instance, if you are a dog trainer, you don't want to connect
with other dog trainers (unless it is Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer).
Why? Because this negates the purpose of being viewed as an expert.
However, you might want to connect with veterinarians, canine nutrition
experts, and small business owners who sell merchandise, like collars,
leashes, dog beds, etc. These people can enhance your knowledge and will
show your followers that you aren't a "one-trick pony."
- Do "retweet" (think of this like forwarding an email to someone)
Twitter posts made by experts you follow that are relevant to your brand
or industry. Not only will it provide them with visibility, but it will
show you are connected with experts and they will likely "retweet"
items of interest that you post.
- Don't Tweet about topics that are off-brand. These include tweets
about how you are walking your dog, having breakfast, or getting ready
to go on vacation. Once again, be consistent in your theme and ensure
the content is useful.
LinkedIn:
- Do connect with people that can help in your job search.
- Make sure you have a descriptive job title and thorough profile that
highlights your expertise and skills.
- Don't "spam" people you don't know to try and connect with them -
you'll get your account taken away from you.
- If you do want to connect with someone you don't know, either find
someone in your network that's connected to the person or write a
meaningful "in-mail" that conveys WHY you want to connect with the
person.
- Ask for and provide solid recommendations to people in your network.
Facebook:
- Do be careful what your write in your updates. Don't post personal
information about your divorce, how you are going out drinking every
night, etc.
- Don't post pictures of yourself in compromising positions, i.e.,
photos of drinking, nudity, etc.
- Don't be a lurker. If friends posts something about their family,
job, or life in general, write a comment. Just be sure you don't comment
on posts related to their "bad behavior."
Watch for my next post that will highlight job seekers who have
successfully utilized social media to land a great job!
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