Isn’t that a cute image? I found it here
I’m sure you have heard of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In fact, that is probably how you found this article because I posted it on all three social networks.
Today, I would like to get you started in thinking of using these powerful resources to find a job and advance in your career. You have many Facebook friends, Twitter followers and LinkedIn peeps. Let’s leverage those people who have actively decided to be your friend, follow your updates and link into you. We’ll go one by one so you can see how each can be used.
First, let’s look at your online profile as a whole (Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Friendster, etc.) Would you want a recruiter to see what you have posted on your page? Do you have anything at all that may show you in a not so positive light? You have to know that when you apply for a job, the recruiter is most likely going to put your name in a Google search to see what comes up. (Don’t act like you don’t do it when you meet someone new. Or is that just me?) Check your profiles. Are there some pictures on your page that are too revealing or from a crazy party where you were too drunk to remember what you were doing? If you are not sure, take some time, not right now, to look at your online profile. Heck, put your own name in the Google search box and see what comes up.
Face the book
Let’s get your page ready for viewing
The first thing that people will notice about your Facebook page is your status. So, use your status to promote your job search. When you have an interview or are sending in an application to a certain company, share it in your status. You have no idea who might know someone at that company who can help you. When you place in your status that you are looking for a job, that is a start for your friends to keep you in mind for any jobs they may come across. But when you put that you are looking to work in a certain company or interviewing or submitting an application somewhere, it may jog someone’s memory about a person they may know or how they can help you. The more specific you are the better your chances.
Networking
John DiPietro, Author of You Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Great says, “The first thing to do when seeking a job is to find someone who graduated from the SAME COLLEGE or HIGH SCHOOL as you. This way you have a common bond. Even if they were there years ahead of you, or behind you, it gets your conversation off on a friendly note. So, once you know the company, then call your alumni office to see if they know of anyone at that company. Then do a Google search on that person. Find out about their background and career and family, then use this in the conversation.”
Be one of the gang
You should be looking for groups and fanpages on Facebook in your industry. And when you find them, join them and most importantly, participate in them and connect with the other members of the group. You never know where that next job referral will come from.
Get linked in
LinkedIn is a great place to start when doing your job search. Marcia Stein, Author of Strained Relations: Help for Struggling Parents of Troubled Teens says, “Recruiters look at LinkedIn as it is the leading site for social networking among businesspeople. Why pay a job board hundreds of dollars when you can find a qualified candidate for free on LinkedIn? With this in mind, it’s important to fill in your profile using your resume, keep it updated and public, and insert a way people can reach you directly.” So, if that is where the recruiters are looking, you need to get in there and stake your claim.
When you sign up to LinkedIn, the first thing you want to do is fill out your profile completely. It doesn’t hurt to have recommendations from your contacts as well. (Just a note: Make sure they are recommendations that will actually explain your work style or personality. A recommendation that says, “ChaChanna was great to work with and always displayed a positive attitude.” is nice but really doesn’t say much.) You can find out more on how to use LinkedIn and setting up your profile by visiting http://learn.linkedin.com/.
I want to point out the job section feature. Now, the LinkedIn job section is unique because you can find jobs that were posted on LinkedIn exclusively as well as general job postings by partner sites. You can also see who posted the job, and how you are connected to them. And if you are not connected to them, you can see who in your network is connected to them or the company. That is awesome because you can get a warm recommendation and referral from your network.
What’s all the Twitter about?
If you don’t know about this site, I wrote about it a couple months back. On this site you have three ways to promote yourself.
Bio
In your bio you have 160 characters to talk about yourself, your expertise, and what you are looking for. And since you only have 160 characters, not words, you have to make it interesting. Oh, and use a picture of yourself as the avatar, not a logo, your kitty, etc. People talk to people, not objects (at least the sane ones do).
Backgrounds
If you are HTML savvy, you can create your own stellar background. If you are not, like me, then you can go to such sites as TwitrBackgrounds.com or some other site that creates Twitter backgrounds. Use this space to the fullest by promoting yourself, skills, and interests. Put any contact info on there as well.
What the tweet?
Follow people of interest who can give you value and you can learn from. And don’t just follow them, talk to them, comment on their tweets, retweet what you find interesting, be on the look out on how you can help them. Tweet any articles or videos that you find interesting and when you have an opinion on something, share it.
So, there you have it. My quick guide to using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to expand your job search.
Did I miss anything? Do you have other techniques, success stories or failures? Share with the group.
Happy Networking!
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