I know plenty of folks who are looking for a job, yet refuse to join social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. It’s as if they are trying to prove something. The only thing they are proving is that they don’t understand how the rules have changed. Here are a few tips on how to use social media to find the job you deserve.
Make Your Debut
Whether you are an established professional or a graduate looking to catch a break, you must take the appropriate steps to establish your online identity. Start a blog that focuses on your professional interests and then create accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to promote your endeavor.
Employers are not going to seek you out. You must make sure your voice is heard loud and clear.
Share the Right Information
When using Twitter to aid your job-hunt, you must be somewhat strategic. What sort of information are you sharing? If you are not reading and re-tweeting articles that cover topics relevant to your field, you are not doing all you can to brand yourself online. That account executive at XYZ PR is not going to notice you if you are solely tweeting about Cheetos and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. Well, that would probably catch my attention, but I’ll save that for another blog entry…
Go Against the Grain
Do you have an opinion? Do not be afraid to share it! Let’s face it, the social media landscape is filled with @-kissers who love to offer groundbreaking comments like “great post!” on all the hottest blogs. The folks who stand out are those who respectfully voice differing opinions and engage others in conversation.
Pull the Trigger
So you’ve built your online presence and traded messages with a few established professionals. Now what? Pull the trigger!
Ask your new contacts if they would be willing to sit down for an informational interview. This is an excellent way to learn more about your industry and put yourself in front of the people who matter the most.
Think you are done? Not by a long shot! Ask your social media contacts if you can contribute to their blog as a guest. Start a Twitter-Chat or organize a Tweet-Up. Ask everyone for referrals. Above all else, stay relevant!
Do you have a success story you are willing to share?
Great, succinct and powerful blog. As a Career Management Professional and Resume Writer I don’t write a cover letter without a LinkedIn address and I can shortly see that a Twitter and Facebook address may be pertinent.
A great blog post and sound advice, especially for those who haven’t embraced social media in their job search yet.
Takeaways: Use social media to engage, share valuable content, offer up your opinions to build your brand, and “pull the trigger” – I really liked this one. Use social media to build “online” relationships, but take the next step to strengthen the connection by meeting “offline” for an informational interview.
Social media is part of our culture – it is the new way people connect and communicate on the internet, and it is here to stay.
Those with vision understand this and are finding quicker, better ways to share information, late-breaking news, and reach a much larger audience through viral marketing made possible by social media networking.
Another poet’s words seem to sum it up nicely:
“And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
… Your old road is rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.”
– The Times They Are A-Changin’, Bob Dylan, 1963
Nick,
I wanted to thank you for your inspiration regarding communication and social media websites. I have drawn from your personal example as a kind of blueprint to begin establishing myself as an academic in history. I’ve started a blog, twitter, and linkedin all in preparation for the commitment to a PhD. Keep the blogs coming, I enjoy them.
Patrick
Daulton — Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! The most positive feedback I’ve received from this blog entry comes from folks who never considered moving online relationships with professionals into the real world. I have “pulled the trigger” many times and can proudly report that most people are more than happy to help.
Patrick — Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you are taking your future plans so seriously these days. You are an extremely genial individual and quite the conversationalist. If you use those skills to reach out to professionals in your field, you will find yourself on the path to success in no time. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I will be more than happy to share my experiences with you.
found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
What about using social media to fill a job opening?
I’m giving it a go as we speak: http://inkte.es/NowHiringEWI
I have no idea what to expect, but it should be interesting.