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Using Social Media in your Job Search
Most of us use some form of Social Media but how can we get the most of it in our job hunt? Here, we'll take a look at the most used sites with tips on using them most effectively when looking for work or raising your profile within your chosen profession.
| Blogs | General Tips |
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Your online 'brand':
What is the web saying about you? Have you Googled yourself lately? This is important as you need to know what an employer will see if they do the same.
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Blogs:
Blogs can be a useful way to have an online presence. They can be reviews, short and topical opinion piece or a personal experience although rants probably won't be viewed favourably by potential employers. They can be text or incorporate video, photography, art etc.
Aspiring journalists, writers, marketing / PR / sales execs, buyers - particularly fashion, photographers and other creative artists, IT and engineers etc. all can have blogs promoting their skills / knowledge and proving themselves as potential employees.
There are many free sites that host blogs (e.g. Wordpress, Posterous, Tumblr). Comments are useful but make sure you moderate them!
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Pinterest:
An online noticeboard - check out http://www.naceweb.org/s04252012/pinterest-social-media/ for ideas of how you can use this in your jobhunt.
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Facebook:
Probably the most 'social' of the media mentioned here, and you probably use your account to keep in touch with friends, add photos, play games etc., but do you follow employers that interest you? or Careers?
Keep your privacy settings high - after all this is a personal site for you and your friends, not for potential employers to see your photos! Check your settings as friends' pages referring to you may be open to all to read e.g., tagged photos or wall posts.
LIKE pages that are relevant to your job interests so that updates appear in your newsfeed. For some examples, see the pages Career Development Centre have liked - companies, agencies, professional associations, societies worldwide have pages. Do comment on posts made by the page and keep it professional - remember, your profile picture and name will appear beside your comments!
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Twitter:
As well as being used to have real-time conversations and discussions this site is also used by all sorts of brands, companies and individuals as PR in a relaxed, easy to scan way that can be very useful to your job search.
Use it to:
keep up to date with
Favourite jobs sources to hear about the latest jobs being advertised (e.g.,
gradireland,
Specific companies you'd love to work with (e.g.,
Professional associations - what is happening in the sector that interests you? (e.g.,
General news (e.g.,
Sector specific news (e.g.,
Magazines or other publications for your sector (e.g.,
Your favourite personalities and experts whether it is
Careers related news! (e.g.,
raise your own profile
Be careful what you tweet! Be aware that this is a public site and potential employers can read everything - but this can be used to your advantage.
Use hashtags (#tag) when commenting on major and/or trending topics to maximise the chances that your tweets to be seen by more than your followers.
Engage in (appropriate!) conversation with people you follow and ask for advice.
Do you have a blog relevant to your profession? Link to new posts on Twitter too - most blog sites have an option to feed directly to Twitter and other accounts, you'll never know when someone may come across the link.
complete your bio so readers know a bit about you (e.g., recent BSc Zoology grad interested in .... )
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LinkedIn:
A network to link people with common business / professional interests. Here you have a personal profile, connect with people and join groups which can also have job listings.
Make the most of LinkedIn:
Complete your profile: add a photo, university, work, interests.
Personalise your profile url so that you can use it in your CV (www.linkedin.com/in/name)
Use keywords: potential employers search for specific words, so instead of only putting in 'BSc IT' add details such as 'Modules included: C++, Java' - get as detailed as possible with techniques / tools / systems used or studied.
List your accomplishments / achievements along with your study / work details.
Get recommendations from people you've worked with e.g., lecturers, work supervisors.
Add an extra section to your profile if relevant: these include Skills, Publications, Languages, Patents, Certifications. This will increase your visibility.
You can import your Twitter, blog and SlideShare accounts into your profile.
Follow companies you are interested in.
Join relevant groups and participate in discussions where suitable - there are groups covering all types of careers and interests, and also an NUI Galway alumni group and our Careers Student group.
Search job opportunities on their job portal for students and recent graduates http://www.linkedin.com/studentjobs
Read gradireland's blog post on using LinkedIn
LinkedIn's Learning Centre has a student section with video and tips
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Some general tips:
Use the same photo on your public sites e.g., blog, Twitter, Linkedin.
Everything you put here is in the public domain so be careful when choosing your profile names or leaving comments.
Use the most appropriate media for your interests - as well as those mentioned above, are Flickr, YouTube, Slideshare (for presentations) relevant to your sector?
You can list your profiles on your CV or business card.
Companies and other websites that interest you may have RSS feeds of news that do not go to a site already mentioned. There are many RSS Reader websites and apps that are easy to set up.
Mashable.com have tips on using social media in your job search (US focus).
See more links on using social networking on our Delicious page.
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Phone: +353 (0)91 493589, Fax: +353 (0)91 494570
This page was last updated Thursday, April 26, 2012