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Executive Tips on Using Social Media For the Job Search

Published: Sep 23, 2011

 Job Search       Networking       

As more job seekers rely on the internet to find potential employment, there are a number of things they should, and shouldn't be doing, to increase their odds of attracting the attention of hiring managers.

man with laptop, man working, laptop1. Expand reach

Job seekers can take advantage of social media by extending their presence across a number of websites, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Chief executive officer at HubSpot Brian Halligan told the Boston Globe that he likes to hire people with a big "reach" on social media. He said that the bigger a job seeker's reach, the bigger the potential for that candidate to be an influential and outgoing employee. Halligan said that he often looks for interesting blogs or industry articles on the web to find the company's next superstar.

2. Reflect professionalism

Job seekers who are actively using social media in their search need to make sure that all the sites they use best reflect their professionalism. When using LinkedIn, candidates should make sure their profile is completely filled in and includes links to their resume, blogs or other relevant sites. Candidates may want to create a separate personal and professional profile on Facebook and Twitter or eliminate any inappropriate content they don't want potential employers to view.

3. Become an expert

Social media trainer Patrick O'Malley said that many job seekers don't take advantage of LinkedIn's advanced search to find contacts that might hire them. He suggested that candidates use their 2nd level connections as a way to open doors and to find out about opportunities that they might not have otherwise heard about. Job seekers should also use specific keywords in their summaries that help drive recruiters to their profiles.

4. Become a social engineer

Remembering that the internet is not just a place to post a resume, job seekers can use social media as a way to show they are interested in industry trends, as well as a way to find information they need about potential job openings. Recruiters and hiring managers often research a potential candidate to find out more about their interests and activities. Job seekers can engineer their social media savvy by building their own personal brand to drive more interest from potential employees.

--Published courtesy of Brafton 

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