Steve Nicholls, author of Social Media in Business, offers these 7 tips to help you use social media to your advantage, connect you to the right people and help you find the right job!
With employment levels at 7.9% it is critical to call in all favors, work all rooms and use all tools available to get people back to work. In the age of the Internet revolution, Social media has actually become a critical, if not primary way for employers and job seekers to connect. However, be careful, because while social media makes it easier for job seekers to find employers, it is also easier for them to find you.
1. GOOGLE YOURSELF
If your resume has piqued their interest, the first thing they will do is Google you. So Google yourself to see what they will see. If there isn’t enough about you, creating valuable content is your next step. If there are Spring break pictures everywhere then it may be advisable to disable some links and increase your privacy settings, and make available the more professional information about you.
2. GET YOUR NAME TO THE TOP ON LINKEDIN SEARCHES
LinkedIn is the primary social media site for professionals. When an employer does a search for job candidates, the most robust profiles will come up first. It is crucial to get to the top of that list. Start with the obvious – a complete profile that lists all your skills and that has a professional photo. Join LinkedIn Groups that pertain to your field and within those groups, participate in the discussions and spot individuals who may be able to help you. Be helpful to others by posting comments, providing answers, and bringing new content so that they can, in turn, be helpful to you. Reach out to your most important friends and ask for recommendations about your work.
3. BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK (JUST SIGNING UP ISN’T ENOUGH)
Proud of yourself because you created a profile? Settle down, even your grandmother is on it. Use Facebook to stay in touch with as many people you know and engage in discussions. You can work every room in your city without moving from your couch. Again, being cautious with content on your page is important — keep Spring break in your minds and hearts but not your profile. Being active and ‘liking’ others’ posts is equally important because what goes around comes around and they will promote you too.
4. MAXIMIZE TWITTER JOB FEEDS AND STAND NEXT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Sign up for all the job feeds in your industry and you will get real time updates of job openings no matter where you are. You can also follow the organizations you are interested in professionally, find out who they are following, and follow them too. These associations will make you look good. Tweeting and being active with re-tweets are ways to demonstrate your intelligence and to enlarge your number of followers to boost your profile.
5. — USE FREELANCE PLATFORMS
Elance, Odesk, Mechanical Turk and Fiverr.com among others will help you find freelance projects until your dream job comes to fruition. Doing so will not only line your pockets, but will enhance your resume, create more connections and brighten your future.
6. NEXT GENERATION SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
Use newer social media platforms like Foursquare, Pinterest and though not new, YouTube, to share your ideas and show your creativity – this will also allow you to furthermore increase your online exposure.
7. CREATE YOUR OWN BLOG
Since you are unemployed and have the time, create your own blog. Going back to No. 1 above, if you lack content online, this will help you to add some and make you more visible to potential employers. If done right, it will serve as a platform to showcase your skills and impress.
About Steve Nicholls:
Steve Nicholls is the author of the best-selling Social Media in Business, an international speaker, and social media strategist who helps business executives implement a winning social media strategy into their organization.
