A carefully crafted social media profile can provide a boost when you’re looking for a job. While social media isn’t your only way to land your next job, it can be an incredibly useful tool when you’re trying to draw attention to your application.
Hiring managers look at your social media profiles to assess your personality and skills to determine if you are a good fit for the position. Social media can be a great vehicle for promoting your application.
Look for yourself!
Whether good or bad, the pages and images that appear when you enter your name in a search engine can influence what others think of you. Before you begin your job search, we recommend that you conduct a web audit by typing your name into the various search engines and social networks. You may find certain pages or publications that could give a bad impression of your application to recruiters.
On social networks, delete photos or messages that are not professional or set your profile as private if you want to keep the photos, but prefer that recruiters do not have access to them.
Showcase your personality
Employers recognize that you are a real person with interests, hobbies and a life outside of work. There is no need to completely wipe your social media of any signs of your personality in order to appear “professional.” Recruiters and potential employers are looking to see if you would be a good addition to their team.
Do your research
Have you come across a job posting that interests you, but don’t know the name of the company? We suggest you dive into the company’s website and social media.
The web, and more specifically social media, offers a wide variety of information. Research the companies that interest you. You can learn a lot about their values and what’s important to them by following their social media and seeing how they interact with customers or the type of photos and stories they share about their employees. What types of content are they posting? What audiences are they engaging with, and what kind of feedback are they getting? How are they positioning or promoting themselves on social media?
Make sure your work experience and skills match the companies and jobs you are most interested in. Many social sites also have job boards so you can keep an eye out for new job openings.
Be active
Participate in online groups that interest you professionally. LinkedIn, in particular, is a great place to expand your professional horizons and find like-minded professionals. Check your profiles and post at least once a week, although more is better, if you have the time. Commenting or sharing articles is a great first step, but if you want to take it a step further, consider writing your own content. LinkedIn has an easy-to-use platform for publishing professional articles. Taking the initiative to make your voice heard can only improve your professional reputation. Just remember to proofread any content carefully before publishing!
Adopt a networking strategy
Today, 80% of jobs are found through networking and many open positions are not even posted on job boards. With statistics like that, you can’t afford to just apply for jobs and wait for the phone to ring. You don’t need to have an open position at a company for you to network. Find the employees who work in the departments that interest you. Contact them and ask them for advice or if they would be willing to have an informative discussion over coffee or the phone. Most people want to help if they can. Just be sure to adopt a networking strategy when searching for a job.
When a company interests you, take a look at the organization’s LinkedIn page to see who works there. You may find that you are only a few degrees of separation away from someone who works there or has worked there in the past. Use these resources to get information about the company and find out if it’s a good fit for you or not.
Follow the accounts of companies
Many companies have “career” accounts separate from their daily social media accounts. They often use them to post job opportunities. Follow the ones that interest you. If that’s not possible, hashtags are another easy way to find content that interests you.
Tailor your content
Each social network has its own personality. LinkedIn is considered rather formal, while Facebook is more friendly. It becomes important to adapt your publications according to the social network where you publish them, but also according to the type of business you are interested in.
No matter how much you know or how comfortable you are using it, don’t hesitate to turn to your coach who can help you develop your skills.