11:48 am on February 16, 2011 by Sarah Findle
Social Media and Your Job Search
I had the privilege to present at Elon University‘s Professional Discovery Week yesterday about the topic of using social media in your job search. My own job search story is a testament to the power of social media in the job search. My relationship, and eventual employment, with Howard Merrell & Partners started with a simple Direct Message to our former Social Media Marketing Manager, Kipp Bodnar:
In my presentation, I broke the process down into four key focus areas:
BRAND
- Establish your personal brand. Market yourself as you would a client or product. What is your message to potential employers?
- Make your Google search results relevant by creating social profiles, an online portfolio and a blog
- Transparency is key. Expect that anything you post online will be or could be public at some point. Keep your profiles open
FOLLOW
- Follow industry influencers and companies on Twitter and LinkedIn
- Read relevant blogs on a daily basis and become familiar with blogging styles and platforms
- Use hashtags to follow conversation at conferences, events and industry chats
FIND
- Use social media to search for job openings
- Follow job and career related blogs
- Look for blogs specific to your industry, or the geographic location where you are focusing your job search
ENGAGE
- Take the leap and join the conversation in your industry of interest
- Meet people in person who you have begun following online. See who is attending conferences or is located in your city
Click here for my full presentation and resource list.