The pen is mightier than the sword, but in the age of social media supremacy, it is time to put the pen down in favour of the keyboard instead. Here’s how to wield the 5 weapons of mass engagement to be one step closer to nailing that shiny dream job (sans armor).
Today, 93% of recruiters are using or planning to use social media as their primary channel of seeking out the best candidates. This means that without a solid presence on any of these platforms, you are letting excellent opportunities slip through your non-tweeting fingers by the truckloads.
But before you get your fingers tangled trying to register on any and every social media network, having a basic understanding of each platform is a must to help fast track your quest of career advancement. Getting started is the hardest part, but thankfully we’ve got your back with this quick guide to nailing your dream job with social media:
The original star of social media recruitment. However, with more than 350 million LinkedIn users worldwide, it might be hard to stand out amidst the flurry of inMails and connection invites. To make your mark, it is best to start with the basics and look at your profile.
First up, your profile photo. Does it scream professional high flyer or mysterious stranger? If it is the latter, please note, you are not a faceless silhouette. Get a professional photo taken and plaster it across all your platforms.
Secondly, beef up your profile with your work experience and skills. Don’t be lazy modest and just list your job titles. Elaborate. Describing your roles, responsibilities and achievements will dramatically improve your appearance in search results and present a more complete picture of who you are. Achieved skyrocketing sales figures? Put that down. Invented a new pill that helped beat post-lunch comas in the office? Definitely put that down.
Once you have that down pat, it’s time to start connecting! Friends, ex-classmates, colleagues, nemeses – send them all an invite to connect. And don’t just stop there, expand your network by checking out the ‘How You’re Connected’ section to see who you can tap on to bridge that gap between you and the hiring manager of your dream company.
The land of ambiguous status updates and a million cat videos, otherwise known as Facebook, can also be beneficial to your career development ambitions if trodded on carefully.
The trick here is to ensure the right people see the right content, and this can be accomplished through the simple but labour-intensive task of classifying your friends into lists. Create a “Professional” list and add all your friends who you consider professional contacts to that list, and target your content accordingly. A new promotion, company achievements or maybe a feature in the newspaper are excellent examples of content to share with your “Professional” friends, while baby photos and unsolicited outpouring of emotions can be unleashed to the rest of your long-suffering friends instead.
The adage “Keep your personal and professional life separate” rings particularly true for Twitter. If you are highly prone to emotional outbursts about morning traffic or when your favourite character is killed off in Game of Thrones, we highly recommend you sign up for a second account now.
Once that is up and running, start by following people or companies you wish be acquainted with (this is where the “Who to Follow” tab comes in useful). Position yourself as an expert by flooding their timelines with your quips and observations about current affairs or the industry, or better still, strike up a informal conversation over their latest tweet.
Google+
Just as how getting into the right social circles in reality is crucial, getting into the right Google+ Circles is what’s going to get you noticed by the right people on this platform. Start by commenting or reposting their post (don’t forget to mention them!) to build up a relationship. Once you have a foot in the door, charm them with your expertise by sharing a stream of content (self-created or otherwise) that highlights your industry knowledge, and they may be willing to refer you for that otherwise elusive job opportunity.
But the cherry on the cake is that Google+ is a goldmine for those seeking to improve themselves. Have the latest facts at your fingertips with Google+ Communities, where groups congregate over their shared passion for topics ranging from “Social Media Marketing” to “Teaching a Dog to Tango”. You can now not only flock with the birds of the same feathers, but also be better equipped to respond intelligently in your interviews.
Instagram may seem like the last place recruiters would look, but it is an excellent platform for showcasing your portfolio, especially for the creative type. Provide a refreshing change from those #nofilter #foodporn and #ootd posts (LIES!) with that #instaworthy infographic you created and you might just attract the right attention. On the flipside, follow companies which you are interested in. Aside from being privy to their latest hiring posts, you can gain a better understanding of the company’s culture and use that to your advantage should you get that interview.
Ultimately, the overarching theme here is connecting. Networking is an art form, and while social media networking may not present the same level of intimacy as a dinner party, it does lessen some of the stress and awkwardness of speaking to complete strangers. So don’t pout just because social media has yet to present your dream job on a silver platter – it is still an excellent place to build rapport and long-lasting relationships that will eventually translate into an opportunity.
Categories: #TRUTH
Spring Seeker 