Social Media and Your Job Search

Posted on: August 11, 2012, by :

Your Job Search

 

Social media is powerful and is fast becoming the norm for many organizations and individuals.  Social media is important in your job search.  It possesses great promise for those who use it to truly engage with others.  Social media provides a platform to express uniqueness and expand reach broadly and quickly.  It provides a huge opportunity for brand awareness and potential profit.

Social media is work and requires an investment of learning, time, and energy to be effective.  It can be fun and extremely rewarding as well.

Job seekers and recruiters typically use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.  According to a 2011 Jobvite survey of job seekers:

  • 45% of the employed are open to a new job
  • 86% of active and passive job seekers have a social profile
  • 16% used social networks to find their most recent job

Can you really afford not to engage using social media?  Social media can be overwhelming and work and life commitments often leave little time for learning.  Some believe social media cannot help them in their work but this is a huge misconception.  Relationships are critical whatever business you are in and you waste opportunities if you are not taking advantaging of tools to strengthen and grow relationships.  To prevent frustration:

–     Determine what works for you and strive to be consistently engaged;

–     Add value to broaden your reach and strengthen your brand; and

–     Monitor trends and adapt based upon your goals.

Google yourself and review what you found.  Are you digitally distinctive?  Did you appear in search results near the top of the page?  Was the information that you found correct and did it present you in a positive, professional manner?  By proactively managing information, you can influence what appears in search results.

For professionals, having a presence on LinkedIn is a must.  While Facebook is widely popular, many individuals struggle with sharing personal information on the Internet.  This is completely understandable.  One option is to create a page as a business person.  Determine what works for you and establish a presence.  You can do both.  The key is to get started, establish a presence, and engage with others.  Social media is important in your job search.

 

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