There’s a lot of information out there about what to do and not to do when it comes to your social channels and your job search. Facebook is for friends and family, Instagram is for food pics, Snapchat is for the fun filters…
So how can you make the best use of social media for your job search? We have some tips for you to get your social game on and get the attention of hiring managers and recruiters you want to connect with.
Don’t hide the real you! Company culture and being a good fit is important to hiring managers (and it should be to you). Don’t hide your sense of humor, quirks, or interests unless you’re willing to hide forever. It’s easy to end up in a Jekyll and Hyde situation when the “real you” shows up down the road. Showing a little bit of your personality is a good way to help potential employers warm up to you even before you get an interview. Note: DO hide any potentially embarrassing/drunk/”that phase you went through” photos from college or make them private.
Become an expert at what you would like to do for a living. Twitter is a great place for conversation and engagement. If you already have an account, make sure it’s a reflection of your professional persona. Take the time to create a header and choose the right headshot. Follow people who are interested in your field. Tweet articles about your field and share your thoughts about the topic. Grow your account by tweeting regularly and engage with your audience. Use hashtags. For example, if you’re looking for work in the field of Human Resources, tweet links to articles that would be interesting to the HR and recruiting field. Follow social influencers in that field. Participate in Twitter chats about topics in that field. #HR #recruiting #protips.
The expert thing also works on LinkedIn. Follow influencers who are doing what you would like to do for a living. Interact with them in comments on their posts. Use good judgment about reaching out to make a connection with someone. Example: Don’t randomly send connection requests, rather, join groups on LinkedIn that are full of people with common interests and interact with them there before sending a request. People are more likely to accept your request and want to be helpful in connecting you to others if they recognize you from interaction within a group. And if you feel lost just thinking about creating a LinkedIn profile, there are experts who can help, like Professional LinkedIn Writing services.
Get some knowledge. Staying up to date with ALL of the social media channels can be a challenge, but even a passing familiarity with them is an advantage in your career and your job search. Hiring managers are actively trying to recruit millennials for a reason. Do you think everyone knows what Snapchat is or how it can be used to promote a company brand? Or Periscope? Or Facebook Live Video? If you’re a new grad looking for a job in finance and can post intelligently about the NYSE, hiring managers out there want to meet you. (And for those financial sector job seeking stock exchange enthusiasts, check out CheddarTV…it just keeps growing!).
If you’re not a millennial, think of your millennial friends and family as people who can give you the Cliff’s Notes version of new social channels. By the time this post is published, there will probably be a few new ones you’re going to want to know about! Get social, maintain your presence (even if you pick just a couple of channels, like LinkedIn and Twitter), and don’t be afraid to reach out to influencers in your industry. The great thing about being “always connected” is that it’s easy to make the connections, and it can help give you an edge with your job search.
Any social channels you like for connecting professionally that we didn’t mention? Add them in the comments here!
