Since its debut, social media has become much more than just a way to stay in touch with friends and family online. In recent years, it has developed into a useful resource for job searching that many prospective employees still continue to underestimate. In fact, many recruiters like to check out the job searcher’s LinkedIn profile, and hiring managers admitted that they were okay with being contacted by potential applicants via LinkedIn.
Social media may be an effective job-search tool for anyone, whether a recent college graduate or an experienced professional seeking a new opportunity. It can play a significant part in developing your career and finding your next job. However, to make the best impression, it is important that you keep certain things in mind. The following tips can be beneficial if you haven't been using social media for job searching.
Maintaining a Professional Profile
It's important to maintain a professional presence on popular social media platforms, in addition to having visible profiles on those platforms, if you plan to use social media for job searching. It's almost certain that hiring managers will look you up online and find your social media profiles when you're actively looking for work.
Take advantage of these platforms to showcase your knowledge of the industry; share important news stories, post facts and other useful information, etc. This can also assist in the growth of your professional network, which will make you look more noteworthy to potential employers as more people start to be using you as a reference for a particular subject or sector.
Keep Up With Industry News
Just as recruiters can uncover information about you on social networks, remember that you can also track what they are doing. Learn more about the company's areas of expertise, recent projects, and any other information you may be able to gather from their networks. You stand to benefit greatly at the interviews you appear for if you have done thorough online research as part of your preparation
Share Online Portfolio/CV
Create a customised blog, online portfolio, or social media profile to display your work so as to leverage social media successfully during your job search. A simple website or blog showcasing your articles could be created if you aspire to become a journalist, for instance. You may quickly point prospective employers to your greatest work by building an online portfolio, and you'll be able to impress them with your abilities. This can include things like your professional website, online portfolio, client websites you've worked on, and other websites that showcase your skills and experience (like ones where you've contributed content as a guest contributor).
Networking
Build connections with individuals who work at companies you are interested in working at or who have similar interests and experience in your field. Start up a casual conversation and get to know one another on a professional level instead of just asking around for employment opportunities. Expanding your career network requires you to develop these business connections. Once you have them in your network, you might be the person they think to approach first when there are suitable opportunities.
3 out of 4 hiring managers will look up a candidate's social networks, as per studies, which have also revealed that many organisations use social media for hiring these days. Even if you aren't a regular user of social media, you should think about creating one or more social media profiles when you are seeking employment. Even if nothing else, it can show prospective employers that you have the technical know-how and are aware of current online and social media trends.
Never undervalue social media's ability to showcase your skills, provide companies with a glimpse into your personality, and help you get employment. And most importantly, be yourself! Authenticity will give you a significant advantage over the competitors in the challenging job search market of today.
Source: The Telegraph, 28/11/22
