I recently wrote a post about using social media tools for ones job search. The results from the survey included in the post aren’t strong enough to share so I’ll be posting another survey in the new year – stay tuned. In the meantime, for all you job seekers, particularly those looking for social media jobs I wanted to post a few resources to help with your search.
LinkedIn Social Groups: Depending on your industry you can find designated Groups to follow, which typically post job leads. Here are a few I find interesting: Social Media Mafia, Social Media Marketing, PodCamp
Yesterday, I posted an entry from a conversation with Andrew Hudson to get his perspective on how social media has changed the job landscape and how people can leverage social media tools to build their professional network and support their job search. This post is part two. (We’d love to hear from you on how you use social media tools for networking – please take our QUICK SURVEY.)
Top social media tools to use for professional networking and ones job search?
Clearly LinkedIn and Twitter top Hudson’s list but Facebook and having a blog made it too.
Using Facebook for Professional Networking?
There has been a lot of discussion about using Facebook for professional networking and people have differing opinions on this. However, Hudson encourages people to use Facebook for professional networking and to support their job search. “It’s a more casual environment to connect and engage with people.”
Tip: You can create lists within your Facebook page so only certain people can see certain things – mainly pictures. This may help if you don’t want everyone to see pictures you post from your weekend ski trip.
What are some of your recommendations on how people can improve their use of social media when seeking a new job?
Use Your Network: If you’re looking for a new job, tap your friends on Facebook and let them know what you’re seeking. Use Facebook and LinkedIn for research to support your networking efforts. Hudson suggests you go in and look to see where your friends work, what they’re doing and begin to see if they might be able to open doors for you. When possible, try to meet up with people in-person (nothing beats face-to-face) for coffee, lunch, drinks, a run or whatever to help those doors open wider.
Write a Blog: Having a blog isn’t a must but it is a good asset. Blogs will help you demonstrate your expertise and give you another channel to connect with people. In fact, a recent eMarketing survey found that nearly six in 10 of all the bloggers surveyed said they were better known in their industry because of their blog, and one-quarter had used their blog as a resume or sent it to potential employers.
Use Social Media for Research: This has been touched upon in this post and the last post but needs to be called out. Use LinkedIn to research companies you’re interested in, who works there, do you know anyone connected to them. The same goes for Twitter. Follow people. Read their tweets. Read their blogs. Engage. Use these tools and they will help you more than you may know. TIP: If you’re going in for an interview, make sure to check the persons profile so you have a feel for their background AND to see if you know anyone they know.
Specific LinkedIn Recommendations:
Complete your Profile: Make sure your profile is updated with your past and present work experience. Include real results and accomplishments to demonstrate your experience and expertise.
Leverage Groups. We discussed this in the last post; they’re a great way to engage with people in your industry.
Identify 10 people who know you and you’ve worked with in the last three years. Ask them to post a recommendation.
Use the search functionally to find job leads.
Specific Twitter Recommendations:
Use Twitter strategically to network and engage with people online. This is true even if you aren’t seeking a new job. For example, use TweetDeck or Seesmic to categorize people you’re following so their tweets don’t get lost. You may also consider building Twitter lists of people for this BUT consider marking them private in case they (or recruiters) view the lists.
Find people in your industry and at businesses that you’d like to work for. You can search via Twitter, set up a TweetScan with industry keywords or try using Twellow (I find Twellow to be very useful).
Engage with these people and businesses you want to work with/for. Ask questions about the company, the industry, share news with them related to the company/industry and when possible try to network with them offline.
We’d love to hear from you on how you use social media tools for networking – please take our QUICK SURVEY.
The job market has changed dramatically in the last year, recruiters now have twice the number of people applying for a single job than in the past. That’s not too surprising since the unemployment rate is at more than 10 percent. We all know networking is an awesome way to get in the door and helps with ones job search but did you know 90 percent of new hires are made from referrals? So how can you grow your network? How can you help get into THE company you want to be in or even find a company you think you’d want to work for. ANSWER: Social Media.
I had the opportunity to speak with Andrew Hudson, the creator of Andrew Hudson’s Job List, which boosts more than 15,000 subscribers. Think of his list/website as a localized Monster.com but way better since it actually works. (I’ve gotten one full-time job and several freelance gigs from his list.)
I sat down with Andrew to get his perspective on how social media has changed the job landscape and how people can leverage social media tools to build their professional network and support their job search. This post is part one of two.
How has social media changed the job landscape?
According to Hudson, you are your own Chief Marketing Officer and you have to approach your job search like you would a marketing campaign. Where is your audience? How will they find you? What makes you more interesting than your competition? Like any marketing campaign, it can’t relay on one channel, you have to have multiple touch points. The Internet has changed these touch points making social media tools new resources for both employees and employers. Social media can no longer be ignored. The tools that are out there haven’t necessarily made it easier to find a new job but they have given people new resources to research companies, employees, managers and a way to engage with these people to begin networking and create direct connections internally. Social media has also given employers a new tool to research prospects (i.e. you), which can be both helpful and potentially harmful if your social media presence is unprofessional.
Andrew Hudson’s top social media mistakes job seekers make?
1. Not Using Social Media. This new channel is just too big to ignore. You have to be out there leveraging the tools recruiters are using to ensure you find them and they find you.
2. LinkedIn: Not using LinkedIn to its full potential. If you’re not on LinkedIn, you need to be. If you’re not engaging with your LinkedIn network, you need to be. LinkedIn used to be just an online resume but now recruiters are using it to find people who might fit specific job descriptions before they ever post a position. LinkedIn has also made it very easy to network with professionals in your industry through Groups. The research capabilities LinkedIn provides can help you find jobs, background information on people you’re interviewing with, etc.
3. Writing for Search: Every single job you apply for HAS to be personalized. This doesn’t just mean matching skill sets but matching keywords. For example, a group of recruiters Hudson recently spoke with told him they narrow down the resumes they receive through electronic application tracking systems that scan resumes for keywords tied to the position. People MUST read through every position and highlight keywords and make sure they’re included in their resumes. Hudson did say that the recruiters admitted that they may not identify the ideal candidate for the job using this process but they had to use something to narrow down the search when they received 700 resumes for one job. SECRET TIP: Type in the keywords at the bottom on your resume and make them invisible (using white text) so that they’re readable by machines but invisible to people. (Hudson didn’t necessarily recommend this but mentioned people have told him they do this.)
4. Unprofessional Appearance on Social Networks: We’ve heard the horror stories of people posting things to their Facebook page or to Twitter and then being fired. The same goes for being hired. Be mindful of what you post. TIP: If you haven’t already, mark your Facebook page as private if you’re concerned about potential employers viewing it. Although, Hudson did say this may not be too helpful since if you’re “out there, you’re out there”.
5. Video Resumes: This isn’t necessarily a mistake butHudson felt the time for video resumes has not yet arrived. Like including photos on your resume (unless you’re applying to be a model), you may be judged on your appearance and the quality of your video BEFORE your skill set. He has only seen one video resume that knocked his socks off. Check it out.
Part two will post tomorrow…If you have more tips please do share.
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