In recent years social media has exploded in popularity, providing a set of powerful tools for the job seeker. But actually using them to find a career is difficult – even for those with strong networking skills. Here are five ways you can use social media to connect with employers and find the career of your dreams.
Create your own work.
People use social media to find content worthy of their time, including potential employers. Creating and sharing your own work, whether it is an ebook, blog post, picture, or other form of media, is one of the best ways showcase your abilities to the widest possible audience. By choosing what you share, you can effectively market yourself only to the employers in the field of your choice.
Keep your pages professional.
Business pages, personal profiles, and usernames all reflect on you professionally. Many employers carefully check the social media of their prospective employees, searching for the use of crude or insulting language and other signs of immaturity. Also, many job seekers fail to realize that human resource departments often look at both professional and personal accounts. Deleting compromising posts, pages, and profiles is one of the best ways to improve your attractiveness as an employee.
Find job postings in your field.
Many job hunters don’t realize that social media is a powerful tool for finding job opportunities. Browsing business pages on Facebook, following potential employers on Twitter, and connecting with coworkers and professional contacts on sites like LinkedIn are all great ways to find out which businesses are hiring and how to apply. If you are having trouble figuring out which platforms to use, consider asking other job hunters or professionals in your field for their advice.
Network with others.
Social media also enables you to network with your personal and professional contacts. Many employers give first priority to job seekers recommended by their coworkers. The friends, family members, and colleagues you stay in contact with may give you a lead that eventually turns into the job you want. In order to get as many opportunities as possible, always keep your social media contacts informed about your interest in finding work, any relevant skills you have, and what kind of job you are looking for. If you post too often, however, you may come across as rude or annoying, which can hurt your chances of getting valuable leads.
Focus on a few social media platforms.
Social media includes many websites and apps, each of which runs a little differently. Many people seeking to improve their careers make the mistake of using as many platforms as possible, believing that this will increase their visibility to potential employers. Contrary to this belief, mastering only a few will actually generate more interest and opportunities than being active on several different platforms you don’t know how to use well. If you are having trouble choosing the right platforms to use, consider asking your contacts for their recommendations.
Using social media to boost your career is difficult and requires both dedication and knowledge. But by spending your time and energy the right way, you give yourself the best chance of landing the perfect job.