In the past, it was quite simple: send in your cover letter and resume in response to an open position at a company, get an interview, and, hopefully, get hired. Nowadays, experts say things are changing, based both on the economic situation and the increased use of technology in society. Social media is beginning to play a larger role in aiding jobseekers in landing a position.
The present situation
In an article "7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media," author Dan Schawbel states, “The new approach [to getting a job] is far different. It boils down to the fact that there are fewer jobs available, more competition for those jobs and more touch points for recruiters and seekers to interact.” This means that in order to land a job, you really need to make yourself memorable to employers. Schawbel and other experts’ suggestion on how to do this? Social media.
According to Laura Petrecca in "More college grads use social media to find jobs," the number of college students who, as of April, were planning to use LinkedIn in their job search was 28%. This number was up from just 5% of college students planning to do so in 2010. The amount of students planning to use Facebook was also up from 2010, increasing from 5 to 7%.
Petrecca says, “Students get the lowdown on employers by viewing their websites, reading Facebook and Twitter updates, and perusing LinkedIn profiles.” Not only is it important for jobseekers to utilize these tools, but also it is necessary for companies to broadcast themselves online in order to be noticed by those searching for jobs.
LinkedIn is a valuable site that professionals and those looking for employment use to connect themselves to other individuals. According to Schawbel, “many people don’t use LinkedIn to the best of their ability and fail to complete their entire profile, such that is says ‘100% complete.” In order to complete your profile, Schawbel suggests getting at least one recommendation, which will make you look even better to potential employers. He also says to “import all of your contacts from Outlook, Gmail, etc, so that you can start to build your network or grow your existing network.”
After completing your profile, you can begin to start searching for open positions and connecting with individuals in various companies. In the article "The Basics of Using LinkedIn to Find a Job", Adam Nash expresses his surprise that people do not understand all they are able to do on LinkedIn. He says that people can “search for something other than a name.” If you have a skill set or know what type of position you are interested in, you can type this, instead of a company name, in to the search engine. If jobseekers know they are interested in a particular city, they are able to refine their search this way, too. Nash also says that LinkedIn “has a complete Jobs section to help you actually search for posted openings.”
Twitter can be more than just a place to talk with friends or find out the latest gossip—it’s also a great place to search for jobs and connect with those who work in companies in which you are interested.
In an article "Social Media: Get Your Foot in the Virtual Door," Tory Johnson states that it is important to use the “Find People” search on Twitter. Johnson suggests searching for the company that you wish to work for, then to look at the pages of those who work for the company. “Follow those who work in recruiting and/or within the departments that appeal to you,” Johnson says. One woman, cited by Johnson, who turned to Twitter to get noticed at one particular company, was hired within one month of contacting them.
Blogs
In addition to using social media to apply for jobs, it is also advised to develop what is called a “personal brand.” This is essentially individualizing yourself in such a way that it makes you stand out from the masses. A great way to do this, Schawbel says, is by blogging. He stresses the importance of being “a content producer instead of just a consumer.” In other words, it’s a good idea to actually show employers what you can do instead of just applying to positions.
Blogging, says Schawbel, “is a non-intrusive, harmless and generous way of getting recruiters interested in your brand, without you even asking for a job.” Be sure to write about what you enjoy and are interested in to attract recruiters from companies where you’d like to be working.
The bottom line
As times are changing, it is becoming more and more important to network and use social media outlets to aid in your job search. Happy searching and best of luck!
Kristen Fackler - I'm Kristen, a 2011 Elon University graduate with a double major in English and Spanish. I have always loved writing and have been doing ...
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