I have two job seeker clients, both are looking for jobs. One who is more Internet savvy has found her desired job through social media.
She used LinkedIn and built a huge network of friends. She shared with her friends a great deal of information about her professional life, so that they became aware of her skills, experience, accomplishments, interests and she made known to her network that she is searching for a job.
Within 3 weeks of her job search, she has already started work. She'd had a couple of job offers all through LinkedIn.
My other client who does not leverage on social media, submitted her resume and cover letters to prospective employers via email and job banks, after 3 months of her job search she did not received a call from hiring managers.
The latest technological evolution of the Internet makes the traditional approach of searching for job not as viable as it used to be. Therefore, I advised her to leverage on social media and guided her through the social networking process, she managed to get a couple of job offer through Facebook and after an interview, she excitedly shared with me that she is to start work in two weeks time.
Now is the time to be creative and think differently about how you're going to get your next job. It is still important to go through the traditional way of submitting your resume to job banks, corporate websites, recruitment agencies and attend job fairs. However, the smart way to land a job faster is to integrate the latest trend of social media together with the traditional approach.
Here are some creative ways to help you in your job search by leveraging on social media:
Broadcast on Twitter
The use of Twitter has become a way to connect directly with hiring managers and job hunters. When looking for jobs, you may wish to conduct Twitter searches, following hiring managers and recruiters, communicate with them that will help you learn a lot about them and their companies.
Before you follow someone on Twitter, you have to create a short bio, a link to a site that hiring managers can go for more information. For example, you may have a personal website or your LinkedIn profile that showcase your work experience, skills, educational qualifications and achievements. Be honest about what you shared online so that you build credibility and stand a better chance of getting connected with people who read your profile.
There are people who got jobs on Twitter by already having hundreds or thousands of followers. I have heard of people getting a job by tweeting " Looking for job in admin. Able to start work immediately" and then receiving a direct respond with people who know of such job vacancies. Needless to say, these individuals had built trust, rapport and credibility with their followers over time, so they were more inclined to assist. Do not worry if you have not gotten a Twitter account, it is never too late to start right now.
Leverage on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has the capability of reaching other people in your network (1st, 2nd & 3rd degrees connections) therefore, you are casting a wider network when you connect with more people in LinkedIn. You may wish to conduct searches on jobs that you are interested in and reach out to those individuals that may offer you an interview or referral.
Engage through Facebook
You can use Facebook to hunt for job by updating your status with the jobs you are looking for. Friends, family, old colleagues, acquaintances are there to help you. Facebook has a marketplace with simple job listing tools that can be very useful for your job hunt.
The groups on Facebook is a great place to discuss and post news about a particular subject or interest. You can contribute to the group by joining in or initiate discussions, post links and other resources to the walls. Once you have build relationships, send a friend invitation and they are likely to accept you because you now are familiar with each other online. You can get noticed by networking with others in your industry, which may lead to job opportunities.
If you do decide to use the Facebook for professional networking, the key is to be cautious as you need to be aware of the type of content and information you are sharing. Personal life sharing and business do not mix well. Post content that are relevant to your job search or career. Decide what you want your prospective employers to see and what you do not want them to see.
Create a Video Resume and Upload it to YouTube
The key with a video resume is that very few people have actually created one, so you may be setting yourself apart from other job applicants as video resume serve as a unique selling proposition in the recruiting process.
A good video resume is concise, short (ideally 3 to 5 mins video), it describes how you can add value and contribute to a given position, explains why you should be hired for the job and talks about your background, work experience, skills and qualifications that align to prospective employers' requirements. If you are doing the video recording yourself, do not rush because you can always try it numerous times until you are satisfied with the final product before you upload the final version to YouTube.
Blog your way to a job
The new age job search trend is about building an empowering personal brand and attracting job opportunities directly to you. How can this be done? You become a content creator instead of just a recipient the number one way to do that on the web is to launch a blog that revolves around your expertise, experience, skills and passions.
You need to be passionate and be dedicated if you want to start an authoritative website or blog because it requires a lot of thinking, writing, planning, creativity and consistency in order for it to help you. A blog is an information provider and a good way to value add to readers. Recruiters may get interested in your personal branding, without you even asking for a job! Make the recruiters find value in what you have to say and what you can contribute so that they will feel compel to send you job opportunities that are related to your blog content. In a nutshell, it is a win-win situations.
The new-age marketing through website creation and blog, demonstrate that you have the right experience in social media that can help you start a new business or job opportunities. By showcase your expertise to recruiters, you are able to impress upon them what you are capable of in contributing to the company should they want to hire you. If you do not have a blog yet, it is not too late to start. You can start using WordPress and share your thoughts to the world through creative writing.
"Regina is a career coach with over a decade of experience which include human resources, career counseling, interviewing skills, resume writing and job searching, with a focus on offline, online job search, online entrepreneurship, social media and professional networking."
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/7244622