From Editor: This is a guest post from Andrew Hunter Co-founder of Job Search Engine Adzuna
The last 10 years has seen a seismic shift in the way job seekers and employers are connected to each other. Gone are the days (in the most part) of employers stumping up £5k to a recruiter or headhunter to lock down a candidate. Job seekers have also realized that new avenues have opened up for them to connect with potential employers and land a job. Social Media can sometimes tip the balance between getting hired and getting fired and those that embrace it are learning that it can be an excellent string to the job hunters bow.
Here are 5 social media tips, which will help you in the job hunting process:
1. Get yourself on LinkedIn (everyone else is there) – LinkedIn is the largest professional social network on the planet and if you’re not on it, you’re missing out. It’s a great platform for exchanging business ideas, flirting with potential employers and connecting with old and existing colleagues.
Pimp your profile by i) recommending friends and asking for recommendations from your friends and ex-colleagues ii) Adding your written work such as guest blogs, academic coursework etc.(from the navigation bar > More > My Applications), iii) Adding events you have participated in or you are going to (you will find many of them in your city) and, ultimately, join work related Association and Groups v) Leverage your second degree connections – you’ll be amazed how many relevant people your friends and other connections can introduce you to.
2. Use social job search engines like Adzuna or Branch Out. These tools allow you to quickly and easily identify friends in your network who work at companies that are hiring. Having connections and “lines in” to relevant employers can help you a) Understand what it’s like to work at the company b) Give you an advocate at the company – A quiet word in the bosses ear can go a long way!
3. Open a Twitter account and be interesting. Participate in online conversations and try to establish yourself as an authority within your field of interest. Follow professionals and recruiters in your field. Recently Saatchi & Saatchi launched a graduate recruitment campaign based on the number of followers and retweets a candidate could generate.
4. Connect your Twitter account with LinkedIn ( More > My Applications ) and use both of them to boost your popularity. Start to think about the short list of companies you’d like to work for and follow these companies in all areas of social media. Engage with their employees and relevant people that could be interested in your skills and you as an individual. Don’t push too hard though. Nobody likes a suck up!
5. Be careful what you publish online about yourself and review your online reputation. It’s all very well planning to schmooze with potential employers through twitter, LinkedIn et al. but don’t forget that employers can see your status updates, photos, videos, groups etc. and might discover some information you don’t want them getting their hands on! make sure you lock your social network profiles and play around with the privacy settings to a level you’re comfortable with.
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