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Using Social Media in your Job Search

Using social media has fast become an integral part of the job search and recruitment process for both job candidates and recruiters. The majority of recruiters at companies both large and small state that using social media to recruit cuts down time in the hiring process, increases the quality and quantity of candidates, and is much easier to obtain referrals.

It's essential for all job seekers to have a positive social media presence. Having questionable or inappropriate content as part of your social media presence may cost you a job. Employers often complain about seeing poor communication skills, inappropriate pictures, negative attitudes, illegal activities, lying, and racist/sexist remarks on social media and at least 1/3 of all employers stated that they did NOT hire someone due to what they saw on a candidate's profile. So as you begin your job search, make sure your profile is professional and demonstrates excellent communication skills. Also, be aware of how to use your social media security settings to keep personal information private, and public information available for employers to view.

The top 3 most used sites are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.


LinkedIn

With over 350 million users, LinkedIn is a great tool to connect to past and present colleagues, stay informed about your contacts and industry, control your professional identity, and network with people who can help you achieve your professional goals. You can create a profile in which you describe your current and past jobs and your skills. Additionally, you can upload your resume, join ‘groups’, and Linkedinsearch for jobs. After you create an account, you are able to search for people you know and then you request the connection. Once you have established connections, you can start networking with the people your connections know. Some websites state that as many as 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn. Most recruiters state that LinkedIn is their preferred social media site for recruiting candidates. 

Get started at www.linkedin.com.


Facebook

Over the years more and more recruiters have begun to use Facebook to source candidates and check up on potential hires. Since so many people are on Facebook, job advertisements reach a larger Facebookaudience, which often produces more qualified candidates. Employers can also easily view Facebook profiles of potential candidates which may give them more information about the person than an interview might result in.

Join Facebook at www.facebook.com.


Twitter

Twitter is a free social messaging tool that lets people stay connected through brief message updates up to 140 characters in length. You can have ‘followers’ and follow other people’s tweets. Tweeters typically answer the question, “What are you doing?”. Employers use Twitter to publicize job openings,Twitterreport company news and upcoming events, build a positive brand image, and engage with followers. You will want to follow companies of interest to find out the latest information. If you use Twitter, make sure to have a professional twitter username and keep all tweets professional.

Start tweeting and following at www.twitter.com.