Using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to Job Search
Social networks allow all parties involved to better search for and reach their target. Instead of having a broad, over-arching resume, these tools let people connect over detailed experiences.
Check this short video from Commoncraft: Social Media in Plain English
LinkedIn
Linkedin enables you to see profiles of anyone else on LinkedIn, and gives you ways to connect to them. There are a few ways you can use LinkedIn in a job search:
- Company search – One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is if you have a very specific company you are interested in. You search on that company, and hopefully find people who are connected to other people you know. Then, you can ask your personal contact to connect you.
- Job postings - LinkedIn allows employers to post jobs on the site. The jobs are usually high quality, professional jobs.
- Email – It is easy to send an email to contacts in your LinkedIn network, letting them know of your situation, and asking for any help or the names of people you can contact.
- Blog Link – LinkedIn has the ability to link a blog post to your profile. With a new blog post, your Linkedin profile is updated and it includes the updated post in the weekly update emails that go out to your connections.
- Twitter Link - Similar to Blog Link, LinkedIn also pulls your conversations from Twitter. So, anyone who is not on Twitter, can see what you are tweeting about.
Twitter
Twitter allows you to connect with people you don’t know, based on common interests. It is a great way to network!
- Basic networking - You can be connected to people who are out of work, and you can learn about available jobs. In a short time you can obtain information about the jobs , sending a “Tweet” to people you meet on Twitter.
- Job postings - Check out JobAngels and local job listings – a great number of these are being established monthly. Job recruiters also have Twitter accounts and use them to find qualified applicants.
- Connecting - Read the bio of the person you are interested in connecting with him/her; you can see if they live / work where you might be interested in and, if you feel the contact can connect you to job opportunities, then get in touch with them.
- Companies – Check out the Twitter tool called Twellow – it searches people’s bios and URLs on their bios.
Facebook
Facebook can be a networking tool as well. It is used primarily for connecting with friends or people you know and reconnecting with people in your past.
- Notes - You can use the Note feature in Facebook to explain your out-of work situation and what you are looking for. A note tends to stay on people’s screens longer than a status update, and you can write much more.
- Status update - You can frequently post status updates relating to your job search, to remind others that you are still looking for a job. For Example: “I had a great interview this morning… keep your fingers crossed!” or “I have a networking meeting later today with a company I’m really interested in!”.
Personal Blog
I think a blog is a critical piece to getting a job because it enables you to do a number of things:
- Showcase your talents to potential employers – they see how you write, see what’s important to you, see who you are personally, and even see examples of your work. All that, before they even meet you. It helps make you a real person versus a piece of paper resume.
- Comment on other blogs – This gets your name out there even more, and if you write something interesting, it may catch the eye of a potential employer.
- Blog about opportunities you want - You can blog about the types of jobs you want. For example, if you want a job at a specific nonprofit doing HR work, you can blog about ideas you have.
Source: How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/socialmedia.htm
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