Gone are the days of sending off hundreds of resumes to potential employers via snail mail. When it comes to beginning your career, these days it’s all about social media. This, of course, has both pros and cons (you’ll save on postage, but risk interviewers stumbling upon evidence of your college partying days). If you’re still looking for the right job hunting strategy, here’s how to use social media to find a job:
1. Update Your Resume
Before you begin your job search with social media, you’ll need to make sure that your resume is updated and ready to be sent immediately should you stumble upon the perfect job posting. Even if they’ve seen your LinkedIn profile, job interviewers will want to look over your resume. Make sure the document includes your most recent job experience and succinctly describes specific things you have accomplished thus far in your career (or through internships).
2. Beef Up Your LinkedIn Profile
The next step is to transfer all of this valuable career information from your paper resume to your online LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn page should present a professional image and highlight skills that would make you a valuable asset to any company in your desired industry. While you’re at it, put your Facebook profile on a private setting and un-tag yourself from any incriminating or unprofessional photos (in other words, anything that would be embarrassing if your grandmother were to see it).
3. Use SEO to Your Advantage
It’s easier than ever for employers to search LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter using key terms, so update your profile to make sure it contains relevant information. Think about the search terms you would use if you were a recruiter, and make sure they appear throughout your profile.
4. Market Yourself
Think of yourself as a business, and build a personal brand. You want to present a cohesive message across social media platforms (including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), so think about how your skills, values and personality would make you a valuable employee. You should also brainstorm creative ways you can market yourself, such as through the creation of a personal website or video resume.
5. Build a Network
Social media is ideal for networking (which, in turn, is a critical part of a successful job search). On LinkedIn, join groups connected to your alma mater or related to your industry, and get involved in the conversation. You can also follow companies on Facebook to be notified when new job positions open.
Connect with Rent. on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn. Good luck with your job search!
