How many times have you checked your social media accounts today? For most of us, it's a reflexive habit. Waiting for a friend? Check Facebook. In line at the DMV? Catch up on Twitter. Need a five-minute break at work? Scroll through Instagram. Keeping in touch with friends and maintaining connections has become an involuntary action. Social media touches almost every aspect of human life--but are you using it to its full potential?
Using Social Media to #GetHired? It Happens!
We use social media to stay in touch with friends, meet like-minded people, advertise businesses, find events to attend, and even keep up with the news. But even though social media has become an integral part of our social lives, we sometimes forget that it can be used to help advance our careers, too. While it might feel odd to imagine finding a job in your Twitter feed, it's happening more and more. Social media, when used properly, can open the door to hundreds of career opportunities.
Tips for Building Your Network
Until a few years ago, if you wanted to apply for a job, you had to send in your cover letter and resume.
Job hunting is about connecting with the right people and building your personal brand.
Today, the resume is dying out, and many positions don't even ask for a cover letter anymore. Instead, job hunting is about connecting with the right people and building your personal brand. Luckily, if you're on social media, you're already a pro at both of those things--all you need to do is learn how to take advantage of the network you've already built.
1. Advertise Your Experience
You already know you can share your resume on sites like LinkedIn so recruiters can reach out to you. But what about Facebook? Keep your profile updated with your job experience, skills, and educational qualifications, and don't be afraid to let friends know when you're on the job market.
2. Keep Tabs on Your Timeline
Of course, we all know that employers don't just use social media to find candidates--they also use it to perform informal background checks. Make sure to keep tabs on what others can see on your timeline. Set a monthly reminder in your phone to review your profiles and make sure you're projecting the image you want.
Set a monthly reminder in your phone to review your profiles and make sure you're projecting the image you want.
3. Stay in Touch
Prospective employers can use your online presence to learn more about you. But the good news is that it goes both ways: you can learn more about companies and their customers, too. Stay up to date on industry news and keep an eye on the profiles of places you might want to work for. Monitoring their media can help you get a feel for the company, but it also gives you material to bring up in potential job interviews to show that you're engaged.
4. Connect with Innovators
It's not just about digging into someone's profile or checking out someone's resume--you can also use social media to connect directly with like-minded people. Participating in communities like Zillable, an online collaboration network, can help grow your credibility and foster connections with creative thinkers.
Participating in communities like Zillable, an online collaboration network, can help grow your credibility and foster connections with creative thinkers.
Social networks have become such a normal part of our lives that we sometimes forget they're also amazing resources. You might think you're just checking in on Facebook or posting a vacation photo to Instagram, but you're actually building a powerful personal brand. From highlighting your resume on LinkedIn to building contacts with Twitter, social media is an invaluable way to boost your career.