Whether you’re a job seeker or job browsing enthusiast, social media can be your friend and your foe!
For many of us, we use social media for both personal and also professional reasons. You might say, ‘I know, I know, I’ve already ‘Googled’ myself and there are no damning search results!’. While that is obviously important to remove any inappropriate images or negative content, it’s not just about cleansing your online profile but also using it to your advantage to promote yourself as a desirable candidate.
As we mentioned in our article on What are Social Influence Metrics?, your social profile is valuable and is becoming increasingly important in the recruitment process. It forms an important part of your personal brand. For example, if a recruiter is reviewing several candidates with similar skills and experience, it might come down to the online profile to shed some light.
So here are 6 ways you can use social media to your advantage to help you get your dream marketing job:
(1) Network. Get on LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals in your industry online. For this very reason, it’s also a great social tool for job seekers and recruiters. Your profile is like your online resume which you can update with any training and achievements. The recommendations section is also a useful indication to a potential employer of what you might like be as an individual to work with. Even if you’re not currently job hunting, take the time to build your LinkedIn connections, you might even have your dream job land right in your lap one day.
(2) Get a Social Health Check – Type your name into a search engine like Google and review all the results. There are two important goals:
To Keep or Not To Keep – Is the search result a positive one to keep? Or is it potentially something old, irrelevant or negative to delete? If you can’t delete it, you might be able to push it down the search rankings by generating some new accounts or positive content in association with your name. Note: use caution when modifying your social profile online. You want recruiters and employers to know you are a real person, it’s good to have interests outside of your professional career.
Optimise. Where possible, update the content for any links in the search results to make sure they’re appropriate. They should also reflect and compliment your current professional interests. This is particularly important for the most common social media platforms where recruiters are most likely to look for you. Here are some examples of how you can optimise these key social media platforms:
Facebook – Check your profile picture and make sure it’s a clear and appropriate photo of you. Make sure your privacy settings are for friends only so that the general public don’t see all your posts, particularly if they’re of personal nature.
Twitter– Check your tweets and make sure there is nothing inappropriate e.g negative comments about your previous boss. Also review your your bio. Make sure it’s not just a one liner about how much you love beer! Add some detail. What’s your specialty and your passion? Your bio is a great opportunity to help promote yourself but make sure you’re honest and realistic. Don’t over sell yourself.
LinkedIn– Make sure your profile is relevant to the kinds of jobs you want to apply. Update any training and ensure there is consistency between your profile and your CV. Connect with people in your industry, particularly those you’ve worked with previously and even ask them for recommendations.
Google+ – This one is especially important if you’re wanting a job in online marketing. Make sure you have completed all the relevant sections that describe yourself. Google+ has also been integrated into many of Google’s online services so it’s more than just a social network.
(3) Spruce up your about page – If you have a website or a blog, your About page is probably one of the most visited pages on your site and also one of the first places a potential employer is likely to look to find out more about you. Use this to your advantage. Make sure that it’s relevant to the kind of work your looking for. It’s a great place to tell a story about you and your journey. Again, check the spelling and grammar.
(4) Ask and you shall receive – Obviously if you currently have a job you might want to be more discreet about putting the feelers out for a new position online. But if you are looking for work, use your social media connections to put the word out that you’re looking for a new job and what you’re interested in finding. Potentially one of your connections may have a suggestion for you or have heard of a good job that’s being advertised.
(5) Keep up to date – Know what is going on in your industry. Take some time to browse Twitter and LinkedIn on news in your industry. You can even set up Google Alerts to give you daily news and updates relevant to particular keywords. Being someone who is up to date with the latest news is a valuable asset to a potential employer. It demonstrates passion and drive.
(6) Research your potential employer – Just as employers use social media to find out about you, make sure you use it to learn about them. Not only will it help give you a feel for the company and if you are suited, it will also help you better understand their business so you can impress them in the interview.
Calie is passionate about all things psychology, marketing, web, social and research. She is also the Managing Director and Co-founder of the Melbourne based digital agency Clickify.
Whether you’re a job seeker or job browsing enthusiast, social media can be your friend and your foe!
