Introduction
In addition to the amount of information on the Internet, nothing has grown faster in recent years than the use of social networking sites. These sites are useful for connecting with other professionals from companies you are looking to be hired by, in addition to allowing you to promote your personal brand. Corporate recruiters and search firms actively track candidates on social networking sites, so having a professional profile on one or more of these sites gives you the opportunity to be contacted for a position they are trying to fill, even if the position is not made public. In addition, most sites have a careers section on their web page and many times these positions are posted exclusively on their site.
Why use LinkedIn?
- Creating a powerful online “brand” is critical to your job search. How do you want to present yourself to the market? Using LinkedIn, you can create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments and provides creative opportunities to tell recruiters, HR professionals and prospective hiring managers what value you will bring to their company. Much more than a resume, your LinkedIn profile can help you stand out from the crowd.
- Build your network with LinkedIn! Who do you know? By inviting authenticated contacts to connect with you on LinkedIn, you will instantly and exponentially expand your job search network. Your network will be made up of your connections and the people they know linking you to thousands of professionals in your target companies, industry or functional area of expertise who can help you land your next job.
LinkedIn Profile
A good LinkedIn profile gives the reader a strong sense of your “personal brand.” It uses creative and descriptive language to let a potential recruiter or hiring manager know the value you will bring to their organization, and it contains enough data to get you found in a people search. Your profile is unique like you and includes:
- A professional designation of impact
- High quality photo or clear portrait
- Detailed summary statement with industry keywords
- Detailed and applicable list of specialties
- Work history listed, position by position (as opposed to all positions under one company, but not your resume verbatim. Include at least 1 current position and no more than 3 past positions)
- At least 3 professional recommendations
- Key service training/certifications and college diplomas
Additional information
- Websites, blogs, virtual resume
- Twitter account if you have one and use it
- Additional interests that: Support your brand image
- Are attractive to potential employers/clients
- Groups and associations (industry associations, affinity groups, board membership, etc.)
- Recognition/awards (this is the time and place for “bragging rights”)
- Skills (allows you to communicate the level of expertise in various skill areas – e.g., project management, expert, 15 years)
Essential information
- Describe your "best work" and the things you are most proud of
- Highlight your qualifications for future goals in relation to your past achievements
- Be different from the exact copy of your resume
- Declare your discipline
- Highlight key skills by focusing on what you have accomplished
- Give a taste of who you are and your professional style
- Differentiate yourself and your experiences (how are you different)
- Engage the reader (1st person can be used)
- Be consistent/compatible with your resume and your 30 second commercial
- Be easy to read
- Include high-level wins
- Leave the reader saying "we need to talk".
- Include industry keywords
Why use Facebook?
Using Facebook for your job search is useful in many ways, here are some of them below:
- Reach out to people in your personal network to keep them up to date on your research activities
- Search for target companies and job offers
- Get to know target companies better using information other than what is available on their website or LinkedIn profile
For contractors, consultants and freelancers, Facebook can be used to:
- Promote your brand
- Interact and communicate with your customers and prospects
- Drive more traffic to your website and blog
- Create a rich multimedia experience for your visitors
Facebook Profile
Using Facebook for your job search is useful in many ways, here are some of them below:
- Better for people who want to use Facebook for personal connections and updates
- Can be used to reach personal network for leads and information
- Connections are added by sending and receiving “friend requests
- Protects privacy so that only “friends” have access to wall posts, personal photos, notes, etc.
Facebook page (formerly known as “fan page”)
- Best for consultants, freelancers and contractors who brand and communicate with clients
- Pages are fully visible to the general public. You do not need to have a Facebook account to view a page.
- Unlike personal profiles, Facebook pages are company-focused
- Pages are a great source of news and events of a company
- Offers the possibility to have a video presentation
- Links to blogs and websites
- Used for special promotions
- People connect with pages by clicking on the “Like” icon on the page.
Twitter basics
- Social networking tool that allows users to communicate in 140 characters or less (called “tweets”)
- Twitter allows users to communicate their brand/value proposition
- Twitter allows users to post updates (tweets), view other users’ tweets and send public replies or private messages to connect with them
Twitter profile basics
- User name: easy to identify
- Bio: clear message to target audience (140 characters or less)
- Photo: Professional image or company logos appearing next to each message (tweet)
- Links to websites, blogs, or LinkedIn profile
Promote your brand on Twitter
- Inform your followers of an upcoming presentation
- Share an article of interest
- Direct your followers to your LinkedIn account, blog or website
- Make sure it’s not all about work: when using Twitter, consider the content ratio: 75/25 (professional/personal). It’s good for people to see what you’re passionate about outside of work. However, as with all social networks, be careful when posting anything. Everything you post on the Internet is trackable and permanent.