Why Social Media Matters in the Job Search
Taking a social approach to your job search might just be the best employment decision you ever make.
With more and more social media sites dedicated to the professional job market, going social with your job seeking endeavors is more fruitful than you might think.
When you’re ready to find your dream job, here are a few social websites that can help:
First Things First: Clean Up Your Social Act
There’s a difference between a social media account that’s all about socializing and one that’s professional.
If you’re planning on using your social profiles for job hunting purposes, then you need to clean up your act and make sure your social life is somewhat professional.
Posting pictures of yourself and your less-than-professional escapades simply won’t fly with recruiters. Instead of erasing your social history, you can simply set your profiles on sites like Facebook and Instagram to private.
Once you clean your social slate, you can then concentrate on the social media sites that will help you find your next job.
All Begins With Linkedin
Linkedin is the ultimate social site for professionals.
If you haven’t done so already, you need to join Linkedin and start making connections within your industry. Millions of employers scour Linkedin every day to find top recruits and browse professional profiles.
Familiarizing yourself with Linkedin is fast and easy, but setting up your account is only the first step. To truly take advantage of this job seeking social site, you need to optimize your profile by adding your résumé and continuously updating your work experience.
In addition, you’ll also want to make sure you network by joining industry groups and exchanging endorsements with your friends and colleagues.
Don’t Forget About Facebook
As the following article shows, from finding the right position and salary to “health insurance considerations for job seekers,” your job hunting experience can become pretty stressful. Fortunately, Facebook is a great resource that can also take some of the worry out of your employment endeavors.
You’re probably pretty familiar with Facebook, so using the social site as a job hunting tool should come pretty easy. Whether you use the Facebook marketplace to search for job openings and networking opportunities or you join Facebook groups within your industry, everyone’s favorite social site can pave the way to your next career.
Take a Chance with Plaxo
Plaxo is a relatively unknown social site that helps you keep track of and in contact with your professional acquaintances.
Much like Linkedin, Plaxo allows you to create a professional profile, but it also draws information from your other social accounts such as Twitter. Plaxo also works in tandem with Simply Hired, so you’ll get all the latest job opportunities within your field too.
Social Job Seeking Tips
Making sure your social profiles are clean and professional is an effective way to use social media as a job seeking tool. From there, you can also build your social presence by starting your own professional blog and website.
Likewise, making sure you network with other professionals within your industry as well as related industries will help you grow your presence. Continuous social engagement will also prove to employers that you are serious about fulfilling your job seeking goals.
If you’re in the market for a new job, keep in mind the social sites above and start networking now.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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