Part of the Career Collective monthly post series. Please see end of this post.
Social networking sites have dramatically changed the job search 'game.' LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and Online Career Sites can help you-- from the comfort of your home--discover new opportunities and tap into the hidden job market.
Why? Because networking, whether it is performed offline or online, is still the most effective way to find a job. However, building a brand, connecting with professionals in your field, and maintaining those relationships is not as easy as just setting up an account (don't we wish!?). Adapting best practices so you cultivate a favorable online presence and earn the trust of those in a position to help you is a strategic endeavor.
For now, allow me to share the following....
1. Keywords Count! Keywords are important online. Keywords are nouns and phrases specific to a career. The same way in which you Google to find a service or product, your social networking account, online resume, blog, etc., should be developed with select keywords. Choose terms you predict employers in your target industry, or recruiters will use to search for you. Yes, make your online content interesting, engaging, but ensure you have strategically attracted your audience.
2. Not all connections are good connections. Cautionary tale: Don't "friend" or link with everyone! Most job seekers launch their web 2.0 job search by accepting all friends on Facebook, following everyone back on Twitter and connecting to as many as they can on LinkedIn. I say...don't. Be selective as to whom you are connected. Your connections help support your brand once you have engaged them. Besides, by strategically connecting to those that are in a position to help you, you are conducting a more targeted networking campaign that will support a more tactical job search. (Please engage, share, and help others. While I encourage a strategic networking initiative-- I do not promote a one-sided strategy.)
3. Don't post your entire resume on LinkedIn. I review profiles all the time. One of the things I dislike seeing is a profile that mimics a resume and thus has all of the details outlined. There are three reasons why I am sharing this:
A. No reason to expose your entire resume online so that "content thieves" copy it.
B. Why would a recruiter or employer further contact you for information when it all appears to be there and...
C. It is absolutely boring to read content on a networking site that will be submitted again word-for-word once your resume is requested. Make your networking profile more personal and concise. Do, however, include all your employment history (company, location, etc.) because this will expand your network reach.
4. Your participation is crucial. Don't just set up and go away. You must actively participate in order to leverage social media as a tool. If you don't think you will use it, don't set it up.
5. Revisit your online resume (which you posted on career sites like Monster.com) every 3 weeks. Even if you make just a small change to your resume--update it. Searches are often conducted of candidates who submitted within the last 30 days. You know what that means...
Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
Master Resume Writer
Quadruple Certified Resume Writer
For additional advice on how to use social media to job search, please visit the sites below. My Career Collective colleagues are full of wisdom. Also, follow our hashtag on Twitter #career Collective
Make Your Career More Social: Show Up and Engage, @WalterAkana, #careercollective
You 2.0: The Brave New World of Social Media and Online Job Searches, @dawnrasmussen #careercollective
How to Get a New Job Using Social Media, @DebraWheatman #careercollective
Social Media: Choosing, Using, and Confusing, @ErinKennedyCPRW #careercollective
How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search, @heatherhuhman #careercollective
Updating: A Social Media Strategy For Job Search, @TimsStrategy #careercollective
Your Career Needs Social Media - Get Started, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland #careercollective
We Get By With a Little Recs from Our Friends, @chandlee #careercollective
Expat Careers & Social Media: Social Media is Potentially 6 Times more Influential than a CV or Resume, @expatcoachmegan #careercollective
Social-Media Tools and Resources to Maximize Your Personalized Job Search, @KatCareerGal #careercollective
Job Search and Social Media: A Collective Approach, @careersherpa #careercollective
How Having Your Own Website Helps You, @keppie_careers #careercollective
Social Media: So what's the point?, @DawnBugni #CareerCollective
Tools that change your world, @WorkWithIllness #CareerCollective
HOW TO: Meet People IRL via LinkedIn, @AvidCareerist #CareerCollective
Effective Web 2.0 Job Search: Top 5 Secrets, @resumeservice #CareerCollective
Jumping Into the Social Media Sea@ValueIntoWords #CareerCollective
Sink or Swim in Social Media, @KCCareerCoach #CareerCollective
Social Media Primer for Job Seekers, @LaurieBerenson #CareerCollective
