» Using Social Networking to Land a Job
In these times where searching for a job seems nearly impossible, it’s important to utilize all of the resources available to you. One important resource that people overlook when searching for a job is social networking. Social networking is an excellent way to make connections, find job postings, and get your name out there.
Here are some of the best social media sites you should be apart of:
Twitter:
Twitter followers are some of the most devoted to helping each other out. Another plus is that Twitter streams are constantly updating. In order to be competitive on Twitter you must research companies that you would like to work for and follow them. Once you begin following them, start some conversation through direct messages to get yourself recognized. Another important step to remember is to follow back everyone that follows you. This allows you to become connected to as many people possible. When tweeting, remember to keep your tweets somewhat professional. You should appear competent to fellow Tweeters while allowing your personality to shine through.
LinkedIn:
Even if you haven’t heard of it, LinkedIn is used by some of the savviest recruiters so it is highly important to become a part of. Because a large amount of people use this site, it is crucial to make yourself stand out from the cyber crowd. You can do this by first, uploading a good photo of yourself, second, connecting with every former colleague, friend, mentor, teacher, etc… possible, and third, completing your profile the best you can. Think of your profile as a resume in and of itself. List your talents, strengths, and other respectable qualities you possess. Creating a profile on LinkedIn is just as important as maintaining it with up-to-date information.
Facebook:
Facebook has been around for sometime now, and is easily one of the most well known social networking sites of our day. Facebook is excellent for letting others learn about your current situation. For instance, you could publish, “Currently looking for a job, does anyone know of any openings?” as your status. This seemingly insignificant act can really make a big difference. In addition to posting a status, accept all friend requests even if you aren’t that close to a given individual. It is also wise to take some time to find and “friend” long lost acquaintances. You never know who someone else might know. Finally, join interest and employment groups to build up connections.
Along with marketing your skills and availability on these sites, networking in person is still as important as ever. But what if you’ve exhausted your network and no one seems to be able to help? The good news is that you can find other professionals within your local area with the help of Twitter’s additional sites including: Twellow, Twitter Local, and TwitterHood. These sites work as yellow pages for the Twitter world. They search within the Twitter network to give you an exhaustive search of what you are looking for.
In these uncertain times be smart when looking for a job and utilize all of your available resources. Not only are social networking sites a nice way to keep connected with friends and family, they can help get your name out there and land a job. Just remember to reach out to a wide variety of people, let everyone know what type of employment you are looking for, and network, network, network!