Where are all the Jobs?: 4 Ways to Use Social Networking to Find a Job

Saturday, August 27, 2011

4 Ways to Use Social Networking to Find a Job | Career Rocketeer

Link to Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

4 Ways to Use Social Networking to Find a Job

Posted: 26 Aug 2011 03:30 AM PDT

Social networking has given us a lot in a short period of time—from allowing us to connect with people on the other side of the world to announcing company news quickly and easily.
However, one of its biggest benefits may just be the ease at which we look and find jobs. Beyond just looking for a listing, here are four ways you can make your search more effective:
Build your network. This is probably one of the biggest benefits of social networking. Take advantage of the ease of making connections (and grow your network) by doing the following:

Friending and following those you share interests with
Participating in meetups and Twitter chats
Sending personalized invite messages on LinkedIn
Answering questions on Quora and LinkedIn
Engaging in discussions on Facebook pages

The more you do, the better your network (and probably your job search) will be, which can help get your foot the door at organizations you'd like to work at.
Use search features. Social networking is designed to make our lives easier. Take this concept and apply it to searching for a job through popular platforms. For example, if you were using Twitter, you could search for a job using industry hashtags, or look for jobs through your favorite company pages on LinkedIn. Whatever method you decide to use, make sure your platforms reflect the kind of candidate you are. For example, it doesn't do you much good to apply for a job through LinkedIn if your profile isn't complete. Be sure your online image reflects your offline one.
Connect with influencers. Social networking allows us to connect with those who we wouldn't normally have the chance to, like high ranking executives, human resources professionals, investors, etc. As a job seeker, you now have the opportunity to network with these professionals by using social platforms.
Say you want to work for Company X. No matter how much following-up you do, you just can't get in. So, you decide to tweet Company X, as well as connecting with the organization and members of the company you've met on LinkedIn. Suddenly, people are a lot more responsive. Why? It could be because the avenue of communication is a whole lot easier to manage. Therefore, it may be a good idea to connect and follow-up with those that work at the company you're targeting.
Easily show off your skills. You know you're a good candidate. However, how can an employer know this information? If you use social networking to your advantage, you can actually show off your skills easily and effectively. By completing your profiles, participating in groups and chats, and engaging in conversations across networks, you show that you not only understand social networking, but can also keep up with its changing nature. If you show off your skills and actually help others by providing value, you may find a backwards way into your dream organization. All you have to do is actually be present.
Have you used social networking to find a job? How?

Guest Expert:
James Alexander is Vizibility's founder and CEO. He's the guy with two first names. If you 'Googled' his name in 2009, you would never have found him. Now, he ranks within the first few results of a Google search. Find James in Google at vizibility.com/james.