The advent of social media has been the single greatest communication invention in our history. It makes it possible to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time. It has connected our world in ways that once seemed impossible. Though it may seem like all these sites are only good for looking at pictures of friends and family, they can also be used as effective job hunting tools. Below we have a few tips to get you started on putting your social media to work for you!
Don’t Sign Up For Every Platform
The first thing you might be thinking is “I need to sign-up for as many accounts as possible!” in order to maximize your exposure… but not so fast. While it might seem like a good idea to have a profile on many different sites, if you can’t keep up on posting and staying active on the site then there’s no point in creating the account. Its better to devote your effort into one or two accounts that you remain active and consistent on. By spreading yourself across many different platforms you risk appearing disorganized and struggling to keep up with frequent posts for each one. If you focus on only a couple, you can ensure that you’re getting the most out of each platform. Try to stick to the Big Three: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Stay Consistent
Once you’ve decided on the platforms you want to utilize, its important to keep up with posting on each one. Staying active on social media increases your chances of making connections and being noticed by hiring managers, especially if you’re keeping up with LinkedIn. You also want to make sure that the tone and presentation of your profiles remain constant across all of the different platforms you choose to use. This uniformity will give your entire online presence a polished and organized feel and make it easier to identify you across different sites.
Send Personalized Messages
Once you make a few connections online, send personalized messages to them in order to start building a dialogue. Its one thing to be friends with someone on one of these sites, and its another to actively engage with them. Sending a personalized message shows your interest in actively building a relationship with that individual. This is especially useful on LinkedIn, as everyone on this site uses it to network and build their contact base. Build a report with these individuals; its a great way to not only establish new contacts, but also to learn more about your industry and get advice from others in your position.
Join Groups
One of the best assets that social media has to offer are groups. These are typically organized by like-minded individuals to openly discuss and learn about specific topics. You can find a group for almost anything under the sun. Join groups that have to do with your industry and local goings on to stay informed about current events. Don’t be afraid to network in these groups either. One of the key reasons you should be on social media is to make new connections, and joining groups will put you in touch with people who share your interests.
Play It Cool
When you’re building up a dialogue within the online communities and groups you join, don’t come out of the gate too strong. You want to be responsive, but you do not want to the be the person who is spamming their contacts with 10-15 messages a day. Staying in regular contact is good, but too much over a short period of time can become annoying. We know… you’re eager to make a new connections, but make sure you aren’t SO eager that you begin messaging people too often. Keep your exchanges short, professional, and to the point. In this case, less really is more.
Follow The Companies You Love
One of the easiest ways to get up-to-the-minute updates from companies you’re interested in is to follow them on your social media platforms. Companies post everything from job listings, local events, or even outreach posts where they are looking for input from the community. Take advantage of these posts by attending events if you can and interact with them, either commenting on or liking them. Its a great way to start making connections and get name recognition in the companies you’re interested in. Little things like this, if kept up with, can pay off in the long run. Once you’ve built a good report with them online and in person, ask about any available positions within the company that align with your career aspirations.