There are ways you can use social media to network online and help with your job search. Social media sites use technology to help people connect and share information with each other online. This is a great way to grow your network. You may have heard of or are already be using some of the common sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
If you already have a profile on any of these social media sites, it does not automatically mean it will help you in your job search. You need to plan ahead to make sure your profiles and your activity on social media are helping your job search, not hurting it.
Here are six topics to learn more about when using social media for your job search:
- Using Social Media
- Know How Employers Use Social Media
- Know How to Use Social Media for Your Job Search
Using Social Media
Using social media to help with your job search can be very helpful if you use it correctly. Some people feel like social media is for their personal use. They use it to keep in touch with friends and to share personal information. People who use it only for personal use often write posts and say whatever they want in their posts. These days, recruiters are using social media to learn about people who apply for jobs with their companies. You should pay attention to what is on your profile and what you are posting and consider how it looks to possible employers.
Know How Employers Use Social Media
Many companies have added social media to their hiring process. There are several ways employers use it to help them find job candidates. They may search sites to find possible employees who match their requirements. Many companies also post jobs on social media sites. More and more, companies are looking at people’s profiles on these sites to help them learn about job candidates personalities. Hiring decisions are often based by what employers find there.
Social media can help recruiters get a better understanding of who you are and what your experience is before they even talk with you. Social media makes it much easier for them to understand you better and how you might fit within the company. Fit is important for both you and the company. Employees who fit well with their organization are more satisfied with their jobs and do better on their jobs. Organizations get happier, more productive employees who are more likely to stay with the company.
Know How to Use Social Media for Job Search
To use social media to help with your job search, you will want to be sure your personal information on these sites is complete and shows you in a positive way to an employer. You will also want to be active. Being active includes communicating with people you are connected with. You can also join groups and get involved in the discussions online. Post articles and other items of interest to the type of work you are interested in.
Be careful not to show or say too much on sites like Facebook and Twitter, and even LinkedIn. Think about how you come across to others in your posts. Are you negative? Are you disrespectful? Do you use swear words or slang? Try not to get carried away with the fun of meeting new people, sharing your opinions with your peers, or making inappropriate jokes.
LinkedIn is a large social media network that was created especially for professionals and people in the work world. You can find out about job opportunities and get the latest news and other articles and information to help you in your job or job search. LinkedIn also gives you the ability to join different types of groups. You can connect with other people in the group who have the same interests or have other things in common.
One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is if you have a specific company you are interested in. You can search on that company, then search to find people who work at that company. You can see who those people are connected to and see if they are connect to people you know. Then, you can ask your personal contact to connect you. LinkedIn is the number one social network for job search. If you have time for only one social network for your job search, LinkedIn is the one you should use.
Facebook is the largest social network in the world. Most people think about using Facebook for keeping in touch with their personal network. Facebook can also be useful for job searching. Facebook was not designed to be a professional network like LinkedIn and isn’t used the same way. But, there is still a lot of networking and personal branding that can be done on Facebook. Many companies have a Facebook page and many of their employees use Facebook. This can be a great way for you to expand your network and connect with a new job.
Having a profile on Facebook can be very helpful, but it can also be a problem if you are not using Facebook appropriately. People often share too much on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Be careful about what you post because over 70% of employers have not offered people a job because of inappropriate photos, comments and activity on Facebook.
Twitter is a social networking website for sharing online with other people by sending messages known as tweets. Tweets are short posts of up to 140 characters shown on the user’s profile page and shared with user’s followers. The best part of Twitter is that it allows you to connect with people you don’t know, based on common interests.
Twitter provides another way to help you with your job search. By following people and organizations on Twitter, you can build your network and learn about jobs. You can also use your tweets to help build your online reputation and bring you to the attention of recruiters and possible employers.
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