The Power of Social Media…use it to find a job!
There’s no denying that the Internet can be quite intimidating, they call it the world wide web – and it is indeed wide! Sometimes when you mention social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace people cringe and think about privacy issues or scandal – have you seen The Social Network? You’ll understand why.
However, don't underestimate the power of these sites. They aren't just for meeting and chatting with friends – they can be excellent resources especially for job seekers. Networking is one of the most important parts of a job search and social media not only makes it easier to manage contacts who can potentially help you find a job – jobs are also posted on these sites.
Recently, I was checking my email and there was something from LinkedIn which is a professional social networking site which connects you to a larger network of professional contacts and allows you to post your resume. The email said to try their new tool "Job Seeker – to get the edge in your job search". When I went in to my account I realized that you can search for jobs and internships using keywords and even your postal code! If you don't have a LinkedIn account as a job seeker you should get one.
Twitter is a social networking and microblogging tool that is used by thousands of people every day. You have 140 characters to share a message (tweet) on your profile page, and you can "follow" other users by subscribing to read their tweets. A lot of job recruiters are now posting their profiles on twitter, and often "tweet" job postings. As a job seeker you can create a professional profile which briefly outlines your skill and use twitter to find a job. A friend of mine who works for a law firm recently tweeted a link to a job for an admin assistant at her firm. I’ll admit that before I got a Twitter account, I was wary of all these people tweeting away staring at their smartphones- now I understand and tweet too – I've even tweeted President Barack Obama!
So, it is important to remember to protect your privacy and if you are using these social networking sites for a job search and ensure your profiles are professional. Finding a job isn't always easy. That's why they say – looking for a job is a job in itself but using social media can help you!
Here are some books which may help:
2 thoughts on “The Power of Social Media…use it to find a job!”
I haven’t used social media to look for jobs – but thanks for the idea! It’s amazing how users develop and retool social media to purse their own endeavors.
Good point @George! Web 2.0 really does allow the user to become more involved.