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Searching for a job, but don’t know where to begin? Try these 10 social
networking strategies.
1. ASSESS YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
According to Coremetrics (2010), 75% of companies require recruiters to
research job applicants online, so you’ll want to be sure you know what
they’ll find.
Do a Google search on your name
Surprised by what you see? When possible, remove content that doesn’t
align with the image you want to project
Don’t have a presence? Start by determining where you’d like to work, and
the image you’d like to project
Position yourself as an expert in your industry
Remember to be authentic
2. BECOME A JOINER
Research communities that best suit your professional interests, then join
Once you’ve observed and gotten a sense of the community, enter the
conversation with a meaningful comment that progresses the dialogue
LinkedIn and Facebook Groups are great places to begin
Become the “expert” within select communities by consistently offering
useful insights
3. WORK THE ROOM
Within communities you select, get to know the people as you would in any
other networking event
Seek out common interests and ask questions of those who share your
passion
Think of this exercise not as a one-time job search, but as a foundational
network to last throughout your career
By approaching job search more as a “people search” you will be more
likely to land a job—Relationships count in job search, so spend time
building them
4. LINK IN TO LINKEDIN
Sign up and complete your LinkedIn profile—partial profiles send a message
that you may not be fully committed
Seek out past employers, people you know who are working in your ideal
industry, classmates from school, and more
Use LinkedIn’s Search feature to find these individuals and invite them
into your network
Ask former employers and clients for an “I would recommend”. This LinkedIn
feature functions as an online letter of recommendation
Answer questions on LinkedIn Answers. Respond consistently and with value,
and you will soon become known as an expert
5. FOLLOW THAT RECRUITER!
Use Twitter to enhance your job search by finding your ideal companies, or
representatives from your ideal industry
Visit www.Search.Twitter.com and search on keywords of interest (e.g.,
“Boston IT Jobs, Healthcare Jobs, Jobs at IBM, etc.)
Follow these Twitter streams and get to know who is tweeting— Often, these
streams are staffed by recruiters
Tweet meaningful responses that position you as a knowledgeable
contributor
As the relationships build, you may send a Direct Message (DM), but do so
with care
6. FACEBOOK: CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONAL JOB FAIR
Tap into your existing network of friends via Facebook
While it’s okay to mention you are seeking a job, do not use your Facebook
wall to vent, whine or complain about your plight
Let friends know you what type of job you are seeking, but do so in a
manner that’s positive and professional
Post a link to your resume on your Facebook wall
Create a Facebook ad that highlights your skills and the value you would
bring to an employer
Remember, job search is not about you (the job seeker) —it’s about them
(the company), so position shareable content that speaks to companies’ needs
7. HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR COMMUNITY TODAY?
Consistency matters in social media use for business, and the same rules
apply to job search
Post routinely (at least once a day is ideal) so that members of the group
come to expect and look forward to your commentary
Regular engagement demonstrates commitment, follow—Regular engagement
demonstrates commitment, follow through, and discipline—All great qualities
to showcase
Be sure to promote your community activity within your resume, letters of
inquiry, and so forth
8. SMART TACTICS FOR JOB SEARCH SUCCESS
Purchase a URL in your name (e.g., “FirstNameLastName.com”). This will
enable you to send recruiters to an online page that highlights your
credentials
Start a blog
Ask to contribute to an existing blog as a guest blogger
Great on an interview? Create a 1-3 minute video in which you answer
common interview questions and highlight your skills.
Post this to YouTube and title your video using keywords from the industry
in which you’d like to work.
Create a podcast and post to your Facebook page
Create connections across social networks so that recruiters can find one
consistent image of you
9. REVERSE ENGINEER YOUR JOB SEARCH
Rather than sending resumes en masse, social networking enables job
seekers to plant content seeds strategically in places where human resources
will likely be.
Today’s hiring decisions are more critical than ever, so human resource
representatives must make careful hires—This means they are likely to be
more diligent than ever in exploring credentials
Establish yourself as a thought leader, and give your expertise freely.
People will appreciate this value and will tend to return the favor
10. JUST SHOWING UP IS A WIN
When using social networking for job search, you build both your online
presence, and a set of skills that employers will find valuable
Your ability to write with clarity in a blog, showcase photos and video,
tweet effectively, etc. makes you that much more attractive to recruiters
Regardless of job type, company size, or industry, every company today
needs employees who are skilled in social media.
Those who bring industry expertise and social media savvy have the
distinct advantage in the job market
BUY NOW!!!
www.onlinejobsearchbook.com.
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