Social media can be useful for staying in touch with your friends and family and keeping up to date on current events, but can it really help you land a job? Yes! As much as it seems to be filled with cat memes and YouTube videos, social media can be an incredibly valuable resource throughout your job search. Modern day job hunting has completely changed the way we connect with potential employers and connections. We have direct access to thousands of people anytime of the day, not just a phone number in a newspaper ad. Get social and get hired!
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- Optimize your profile. Have a picture, correct titles and the right keywords so recruiters and hiring managers can find you. If you’re looking for a digital marketing role, highlight your digital marketing experience just like you would in a resume. Treat your profile as a little SEO challenge, make it as optimized as possible.
- Check out the jobs section. LinkedIn has a dedicated jobs section that not many people utilize to it’s fullest potential.
- LinkedIn is not a place to be a wallflower. Be seen as an industry expert by posting blogs or relevant news. This will get you noticed and allow your network to see you are active and involved in your industry. Also, don’t be afraid to send messages to connect for informational meetings, advice or just to catch up, that’s what social networking is for. Hiding behind your computer won’t get you the job, so make sure you’re active on LinkedIn!
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- Follow the companies you’re interested in working for. If you’re in advertising, research local agencies that you’re interested in and follow their company account to see what they’re up to. Often times, companies will tweet their open positions and valuable information like events they are hosting, which would give you an opportunity to meet the individual in charge of hiring, face to face.
- Establish yourself as a knowledgeable source in your industry. Tweet relevant articles, news and trends related to your field. Your followers will see you as a valuable source of information and are more likely to share what you say and interact.
- Make sure your Twitter handle is your name or a close variation. Don’t have a handle like @catlover1230, keep it clear and concise. It will increase visibility in search engine results and allow others to find you easily.
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- Although Facebook is not known as a central spot for job seekers, your close friends and network are a very valuable resource during a job search. Network with college friends, family and reach out to anyone you believe could help you.
- ‘Like’ potential employers company pages to stay on top of any openings that may be posted. Interact with them by commenting on articles they post, pictures, etc.
- If you’re comfortable letting potential employers see your profile, clean it up. Untag any unwanted pictures and posts and make your profile a bit more professional. If not, make sure your privacy settings are secure enough so that only friends can see the content of your profile.
Social media is a great tool to assist you in your job search. Just putting up a few posts that you’re looking for a job won’t do the trick, you have to interact with people to make lasting and meaningful connections.
Ready for your next job? Follow us on Twitter, Linkedin and like us on Facebook. You can also check out our current openings in marketing, creative and interactive.
