Facebook
and Twitter chats are underused job hunting tools: there are lots of local groups sharing job opportunities on
Facebook if you search by job type and location. Also don't forget Twitter
chats. These are regular, often weekly online conversations built around a
theme, a set of questions and field of work. Here's an anecdote I'll share. A
graduate was applying for a job with a company and engaged consistently with
their Twitter feed during the application process. He got selected for
interview and they told him they had warmed to him as a result of his
engagement beforehand. He still had to perform at interview but he got the job.
Stick
to creating profiles on popular social networks: for the moment you're better spending your time on the
established networks for networking and recruitment purposes. The bulk of
potential contacts will be there and are comfortable using it. Meanwhile, I'd
recommend keeping an eye on new sites – such as WorkProfile
and Ello
– but don't spend a massive amount of time there searching for a job until
they're more established.
Clean
up your online profile: first, if you
are planning to use your current personal social media account for the purposes
of your job search, I'd advise clearing up any digital dirt. Any photos you'd
rather not be judged on, any comments or interactions that could potentially
reflect badly on you etc. If you are using a separate social media profile for
this purpose, then make sure your privacy settings on your personal accounts
are set accordingly. Also complete your social media bios so that they give any
visiting recruiter a clear idea of your skills, experience and ambitions.
Should
two types of jobs go on one online profile?
It largely depends on whether your freelancing is closely related to your job
in terms of skills and experiences, if so, I would definitely keep them all in
one profile. And even if not related, then I would suggest having both in one
profile as having different interests will make you come across as an
interesting and rounded person.
Use
LinkedIn to highlight achievements outside the workplace: such as awards, voluntary activity and personal activity
that might be relevant such as captaining sports teams. You can re-order
sections so that this goes near the top. In particular, the personal
description should be carefully thought through - this is your window to show
people how you think about yourself.
Keep
an eye on relevant jobs through targeted Twitter feeds: jobs sites and some corporate companies have career Twitter
pages. You can raise your profile by following (and messaging) relevant hiring
individuals as well as ensuring your LinkedIn profile is up to date and filled
with great info so that you are at maximum visibility.
Remember
employers will look at your social sites:
it is very possible that they will look at Twitter and Facebook to see what you
post and learn more about you. You don't need to get rid of your photos. You
need to make sure, however, that your photos are not inflammatory in any way.
Your photos should not be embarrassing or compromising. We all have a personal
life; this is a window into who we are. You just need to be cautious about what
you post and make sure it is clean.
Be
polite when approaching recruiters online:
as well as being pro-active there is protocol and social niceties to observe. I
have seen people on Twitter rather aggressively approach recruiters and when
you see their timeline it's like a constant barrage of the same question sent
to multiple people. The interview and potential recruitment starts the moment
you follow a recruiter on Twitter, so make sure your profile, timeline and any
subsequent tweet to them is professional, courteous and plain nice. Say thanks
afterwards as well.
Source:
http://goo.gl/0IsAqZ
