I don’t think enough people give social media enough credit, especially in the clear community. Many people see social media as childish, a time waster, a cesspool of negativity, and the list goes on.
But it is a tool that can be harnessed to emphasize who you are in the job hunt.
7 Tips for Using Social Media on your job search
As a Public Affairs Representative, I have had a few years of coordinating brand management for some of the most public organizations in the world. Being a government organization changes little about how you set up and use your social media to engage the public, other organizations, and those who can help heighten your influence.
Social Media can be as much of a tool as your resume is in some cases. Your external facing profile can sum you up as a person, as a professional, and as who you portray yourself to be quicker than anyone reading a cover sheet.
But are you portraying yourself correctly? Are you looking at yourself through the eyes of a stranger? You have to take a stranger’s approach when it comes to checking your social media pages. Or you can be more active in this role and you can use these next tips to optimize, emphasize, and weaponize your social media to help you get that job that you want.
1. Optimize your profiles.
Regardless of the industry that you choose to be in, your profile needs to be optimized in order to have the greatest impact in the shortest amount of time. Much like your resume, somebody who looks at your profile needs mere seconds to make an assumption about you.
The best way to create a positive assumption is to keep that profile tight. Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, or any other, you need to make sure that your profile is up-to-date, highlights your greatest skills up front, shows your experience, and emphasizes your career goals.
Do not over-introduce yourself in the about me section, do not overshare polarizing opinions, and do not bad-mouth employers, coworkers, or subordinates. You want to show the sides of you that a company wants to add to their team. You want to be someone that a recruiter can show to their supervisors and say “I think they would be a good fit.”
2. Network.
Reach out to connections in your network for informational interviews or to inquire about job openings. Most websites these days will show you how you are connected to people at the company you want to work for. Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with those recruiters. I will put money down that a recruiter would rather hire someone that reaches out for the job they want, rather than wait for it to come to them.
Personalize your messages and be clear about what you’re seeking. Don’t just cut and paste messages. This is how mistakes happen, and it can be really embarrassing and disheartening, especially if it is for a job that you really want. Put the time and effort into that message. And be genuine.
Remember to express gratitude for any assistance or advice you receive. Follow up with your connections and be appreciative of the time that they gave you. This is how you continue to be a person to them and not just someone reaching out for a word or two. Being genuinely thankful sets you up for the future.
3. Follow companies and influencers.
Follow companies you’re interested in working for and industry influencers on different platforms. One of the biggest mistakes that I have seen in a brand management situation, especially when creators or influences want to join a program, is when they don’t even follow the brand they are applying to.
Engage with their content by commenting thoughtfully and sharing relevant articles or updates. Doing this will not only set you apart by them acknowledging you and recognizing you, but it will also show you what that companies morals and values are.
Following the people that you want to emulate or join will give you a clear understanding of what they want as their mission, and sometimes you find out you don’t share the things that motivate you to want to work for them. And that is okay.
4. Showcase soft skills.
Use social media to highlight soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and creativity through thoughtful interactions and content sharing. This sounds like it may be harder or less than genuine, but its not. Trust me.
You can easily show off your soft skills by sharing posts about scenarios that you see online and sharing how you would deal with it, you can answer questions from others, and you can also create polls and ask questions to start conversations.
Many companies will post questions that spark conversations on their social media pages in order to drum up their metrics. These are great opportunities to highlight your opinion and even engage other influencers. Sparking more conversation that fits into the narrative of that company will set you apart from the rest of the community because you will show off your abilities to create a new conversation, think strategically, and maybe even persuade others.
These are skills that many companies highlight and want on their teams.
5. Monitor job postings.
Keep an eye on company pages and industry groups for job postings, and be proactive in applying or expressing interest. These are great opportunities to not only grow your network but to show those recruiters that you are actively seeking employment at their company.
If you are networked with that company’s recruiters, you can comment on posts they share, message them directly to express interest, and be one of the first to apply when you see a new opportunity. Some companies don’t look past a certain minimum number of resumes submitted for a job, so getting yours in quick by being networked will definitely put you higher on the list.
6. Create and share portfolio content.
Much like networking, you can use social media to showcase your work, projects, or portfolio pieces.
With networking, you are actively engaging with new connections, adding new connections to your network, and seeking out those who are networked with the company that you want to be a part of. By sharing your content, your skills, etc., you are showing off you and what you can do, and that will lead in to how you can be an asset to that organization.
On some sites, you can tag companies in your posts, but be mindful not to overdo it because some companies will feel over-tagged and potentially mute your profile. Just be cognizant on how much that post really involves the company that you are tagging and if they see/share it will benefit their value.
7. Use the tools safely.
Social media is a tool. Every and all platform that you are on is a representative of you and your character and that matters to companies today more than ever.
As we continue to share more and more of our lives on the web, we open ourselves up to investigation and scrutiny and companies are seeing more and more how that can affect them socially and financially.
