Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Written by : C. Raven Anderson

For almost my entire time attending Purdue University I did not understand how important social media is becoming in the job search. Many employers will check out your profiles to see if you are the type of person they want representing their company. More often than not people will be turned away from the content on their profiles because it is unprofessional. Dave Kerpen, the CEO of Likeable Local, wrote an article giving tips on how to use social media to your advantage.

1) Optimize your Profiles 

       

      LinkedIn: Extend your Resume

• Do you have a picture? If not, make sure you have one that represents yourself in a professional manner!
• Reach out to relevant connections for recommendations. Don’t just ask your supervisors at previous jobs, but ask your peers and reports.
• Have you listed all of your accomplishments and skills? Sometimes better than finding the right job is being found for the right job! LinkedIn Recruiter allows companies to look for specific skills and past positions. Make sure you list them so you can be indexed!
• Endorsements are a great way to easily gain credibility. You should give them as well as ask for them.

Twitter: Show your expertise!

• What is your picture? Make sure it represents you as you want the world to see you.
• What are you sharing? Your tweets should reflect your personality and expertise. Share articles and quotes from thought leaders in your industry. As a guide for sharing jokes, thoughts, and everything else, if your mom wouldn’t approve, don’t tweet it.
• What does your Twitter bio say about you? Make sure you include a link where people can find you. Consider making it a link to your LinkedIn profile.

Facebook: Clean it up!

• What do your profile picture and cover photo say about you?
• Check your privacy settings and make sure you understand them. They may seem difficult to navigate, but they are really important when it comes to your public image. I'm all for openness personally, but for many, you'll want to make sure photos and videos for friends aren't visible to your next employer.

2) Network Appropriately

LinkedIn:

Search your 1st degree connections to find interesting 2nd degree connections. Connect with people, but make sure to be upfront about why you are connecting. Don’t ever send the default message! Instead, give them a reason to connect with you. If you really want an in, tell them you’d love to learn more about their company and the position they have. People love to talk about themselves and a 15 minute informational interview, whether in person (ideal) or via phone or video chat - is an ideal way to learn more about a company while subtly showchasing yourself.

Twitter:

Follow the people that interest you at companies you'd like to work at. Follow the CEO's, marketers and other industry leaders. Follow the Head of Human Resources. Watch what they are doing and find the right time to engage with them. It won't work to bombard them on a Friday night with a tweet about how you want a job, but Twitter does give you the unique opportunity to engage in conversation with someone you don't know. When they talk about the Lakers game, or thier kids, or their trip to Costa Rica - just reply with interest, if you have something to say. Show them you're interested in them - and they just might be interested in you.

Facebook:

Most people keep Facebook for their existing network of friends, and some don't even connect with professional collaegues on Facebook. However, you can like the companies you are interested in and engage with their content. You can also find company and industry leaders to subscribe to, (one way communication, similar to Twitter) which can give you insight into their lives! You never know when a common interest might help.

3) Research

Use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to research the organizations and people where you might want to work before you reach out to apply for a job or schedule an informational interview. You can learn a lot more about a company's core values and culture from their social sites than their website - and if it's a dream job you seek, be sure that the the company's values and culture align well with yours before any interview.  

These tips will help anyone become a better, more professional you on their social media profiles. I challenge you to go through your posts and pictures on your social media sites and clean up your image. A post could be funny to some, but offensive to others. Make sure you are sending the right message to potential employers about who you are.  To read the full article written by Dave Kerpen click the link below. 

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130121115222-15077789-3-essentials-to-landing-your-dream-job-using-social-media