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In a previous post I talked about how businesses should use social media to help recruit seasonal workers. Today, we’re going to look at social media from the other side: the job seeker’s point of view.
Social media is just the latest tool in the job hunter’s arsenal. Here are four tips on how to use these platforms to land a new position.
1. Keep It Clean…And Professional
I’ve given this same advice in the past. But I’m repeating it because it bears repeating…and repeating…and repeating. Keep your social media profiles clean and professional.
Remove any risque photos. Make sure all profile information, statuses, and images are something you’d be comfortable showing off in a face-to-face interview.
Once you’ve completed this step and made your page squeaky-clean, your work is still only half-finished. The next step is to make all of your content professional.
Using a photo of your dog for your Facebook profile pic is definitely cute. But before you start building your network and angling for a job on social media, change it to something more business-friendly. Because when you’re looking for a job, your first concern is promoting yourself, not your personal life.
Your profile picture should reflect the first thing an interviewer is going to see when you walk through the door: your face. Use a headshot for your photo, and take it against a plain background. That way the focus will be on you, and not on something happening in the picture behind you.
2. Make It Match
It’s crucial that the information on your social media profiles is consistent and up-to-date.
Your name is an excellent place to start. Make sure the name on your profile matches the name on your resume. It’s awkward to get a job inquiry from a candidate whose profile name doesn’t match the name on their application.
Personally, when I get a job application through social media, I like to thank the candidate by name for taking the time to send it. But if the name on the profile doesn’t match the name on the application, I can’t be certain who I’m corresponding with. I don’t know if the person I’m messaging is the actual candidate, or someone who’s submitting the application on the candidate’s behalf.
3. Be Strategic With Your “Likes”
“Liking” a company’s social media page is a good idea.
Let’s be honest, though. Your “like” won’t get any notice at a big firm where more than one person handles the social media accounts. But there’s still a good reason to make that click: it will keep you in the loop. Your “like” will ensure that you see any updates posted by the company. And one of those posts might be about a job that just opened up.
4. Stay Resume-Ready
Connecting with a company on social media alone isn’t going to land you a job.
Social media platforms are tools for networking and getting noticed. But once you get a hiring manager’s attention, the usual pitfalls of formally applying and interviewing still await you.
That’s why you must have your resume up-to-date and ready to go before you start reaching out to company’s on social media.
When you’re job hunting, time is of the essence. You don’t want there to be any delay between the moment a recruiter asks for more information about you as a candidate, and the moment you get your resume into his or her hands. Because there any going to be plenty of other candidates vying for the same position, both on social media and off. If the recruiter has to wait to get your resume, someone who’s just as good of a fit for the position might swoop in and take your place.
Like the phone call, the paper resume, and the email, social media is just another tool for connecting with jobs and getting noticed. Use it wisely. Treat these platforms as professionally as you would any other job-hunting tool, and you might be surprised at the new opportunities that open up for you.
Source: TheMuse.com
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