Candidates utilize social media as a way to promote their career targets and professional background. Employers are also using these outlets in their recruiting efforts to screen potential candidates. Therefore, it is essential for a job seeker in today’s technological world to understand how to use social media.
LinkedIn is a professional networking site that encompasses a digital version of your resume, promotes the sharing of knowledge and ideas, allows you to stay up-to-date with market trends and industry information. It can also generate new employment opportunities and connections with professionals.
Quick Tips
- Only connect with people whom you have met in person; include a note mentioning how you met (or were introduced) in the invitation.
- Add examples of your work to your profile.
- Create your own profile name: www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyexample
- Use your profile link on professional marketing tools such as a resume or business card.
- Join groups relevant to your career interests and comment and post to the groups regularly.
LinkedIn Profile Checklist
- Summary: Here you’ll explain relevant qualifications, such as degree you’re seeking and relevant experiences. You’ll want to include what you’re skilled in and also what your career goals and aspirations are.
- Headline: Customize pre-selected headline if desired to include what you’re doing (job, internship, student, etc.).
- Photo: Wear professional attire and don’t forget to smile!
- Experience: List jobs you have held, including seasonal, part-time, or full-time. You can also list internships here. Include a description of your roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments for each.
- Organizations: Are you involved in any student organizations or professional associations? Remember to include your role in the organization.
- Education: List all of your collegiate experiences, including summer programs.
- Volunteer Experiences & Causes: Volunteer experience is just as important as paid work. List out some of your volunteer opportunities!
- Skills & Expertise: Be sure to add a minimum of 5 skill sets – your connections can then endorse you for things you’re best at.
- Honors & Awards: Think about accomplishments and awards you’ve earned in or outside of school.
- Courses: List courses that show skill sets and interests you’re excited about.
- Projects: This could be leading a team assignment in school or building an app on your own. Talk about what you did and how you did it.
- Recommendations: Ask supervisors, professors, classmates, coworkers, and others to write a recommendation. This provides extra credibility to your skills and strengths.
Facebook is traditionally used to keep up with friends and family, but it can serve in a professional capacity as well. If you are in the mindset of your job search, and are spending time on there anyway, why not turn it into something productive?
- Never assume anything is private, no matter how tightly you set your privacy options. Post all information as though an interviewer might see your profile and status updates.
- Thoroughly comb through your profile to find anything potentially negative or concerning to a potential employer
- Delete inappropriate content/photos
- Remove status updates that you don't want employers to know about you
- Use a professional photo. (To maximize your “name brand” use the same photo for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.)
- Monitor your friends’ comments. It will show up in your news feed and can reflect poorly on you.
Twitter provides an excellent opportunity for students to follow organizations and companies, interact with leaders and professionals in your desired industry, and establish valued connections. It is important to first decide if your account will be used for personal or professional purposes and modify accordingly.
Quick Tips
- Use your real name as your username and in your profile. Use your bio as a job pitch, and you can even link to an online resume (if you have one).
- Share useful content before you begin following others, this way they have a reason to follow you back.
- Follow your target companies and industry leaders.
- Find hashtags for upcoming conferences, hot topics, and more to become a part of the conversation as well as identify people that you should follow on Twitter.
- Put yourself in the Twitter stream by describing your specific skill set. Retweet and interact with others to boost your profile.
- Create a “Twitter pitch” much like an elevator speech. Be ready with a pitch you can deliver in 280 characters or less.
YouTube
YouTube is an online video tool that can be used to professionally present yourself or your works through video. In less than a minute, you can share your professional experience, skills, education and works. Research your field to know if a video resume will work for you.
Quick Tips
- Include your name in your video link and it can increase your chances of having your video link appear in search engine results.
- Create a “video resume” and direct employers to your video for a glimpse of what you have to offer.
- Many employers are seeking individuals with social media skills, and this is a great way to show that you have this set of skills.
- Use your video link on professional marketing tools such as a resume or business card.
Blog
A blog is a personal website that can be used to convey text, images, and information in a public format. Some bloggers intend to make money from their site while others use it as a personal journal; most blogs center on a subject in which the writer has expertise and have an intended audience.
Quick Tips
- Start a blog that relates to work within your field.
- Update it frequently by writing about topics and posting articles.
- Communicate professionally and respond to readers’ comments.
- Read other bloggers within your industry and comment on their posts.