The key to a successful job hunt is exploring every option available to you. This might lead you to the classic highlighter session of doom with the Sunday paper, but there are far more effective ways to find work in the modern world. You can easily enhance your job search with social media without ever having to leave the house. Here’s how…
How to Find Jobs with Social Media
Any social network is designed with one thing in mind. It’s not Farmville or freeze tag or anything else along those lines. It’s networking…duh! That should be a giant neon sign for you saying “Hey man, you know you can connect with people through me, right?” The more connections you make on a professional level, the better your chances are of finding a job. It’s as simple as that.
In order to find work through social media, you need to network yourself to potential employers. This may be as simple as following a company’s hiring manager on Twitter, or it could involve developing a complex chain of professionals on LinkedIn. Either way, you have to reach out to people who may want to work with you in the future. Once you have established the right connections, you can start talking with these people in the hopes of creating a professional bond with them. Over time, that bond could lead to a corner office and that satisfactory feeling that every career seeker craves.
Some businesses will actually post job opportunities on their social media accounts, so pay attention to that throughout the year. If you find something you want to apply to, go for it. If you never see anything show up, you might have to create your own opportunities. Send a message to one of your connections with a proposal for employment, showcasing what you have to offer the company. Worse comes to worse, you have to do this a few times over to find success.
[ALSO SEE: How Social Media Is Affecting Modern Recruiting Practices]
Tips for Improving Your Employability
There is no guarantee that you will find work through social media, but it can’t hurt to improve your chances of doing so. Follow these quick tips to enhance your employability online:
- Maintain a level of professionalism in everything you say online. If your future employer reads about your drunken graffiti escapades, he or she may be hesitant about bringing you on board.
- Connect with people before you stalk them for work. There is nothing wrong with asking for a job online, but you need to ask someone who is already familiar with who you are and what you do.
- Be selective with the friends you have on your accounts. Pot-head Pete and Booger-sugar Bob probably aren’t going to do much for your corporate image.
- Make casual comments about your professional efforts. If you subtly let people know about the degree you just earned or the innovative idea you just came up with, you might get just the right attention to land a job.
- Put yourself out there even after rejection. It doesn’t matter how many employers turn you down online. You’ll eventually find one that is blown away by your abilities.
At the end of the day, you just have to market yourself as much as possible. Use your social media accounts to search for jobs in the future, and hopefully something positive will come.
[ALSO SEE: Which Social Media is Right for your Job Search]
ABOUT AUTHOR:
Heaven Stubblefield is an online writer who has made a living networking herself to the right employers. She has turned down everything from huge corporate jobs to simple LPN programs online in order to create the perfect career for her future.
