So I have noticed a change in the request for interviews and speaking engagements over the past few months. I am getting a lot of requests for tips/tricks on using social networking to find a job. Now, with the economy is I totally can see why people are turning to this medium. In the past 2 weeks I have been interviewed for:
-How Facebook Can Help Job Seekers Find Employment
-Tweet, Tweet: How to Incorporate Twitter Into Your Job Search
Asked to on using Social Networking & Linkedin to find a job at:
-International Association of Administrative Professionals
So I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips and tricks that you can use to help find a job. I think I should do it in list form, as people like lists!
Using Twitter
-Post to your Twitter profile, I am looking for a job! So simple, I know some people do not event think to do that.
-Use Twitter Search to find a job based on keywords. Example: CSR Wanted, Denver got me this:
The key here is to play around with the search terms to narrow it down better to what you are looking for.
Also in regards to Twitter Search, use it to find people in your field of work and add them! You need to Network and build your community.
-Follow accounts like: @jobangels, @freelancejobs @manpower
-Use Twitterjobsearch.com
Using Linkedin
-Complete your profile, amazing how many people do not do that.
-Use SEO. Put in keywords your profile, play around with it to increase your visibility. It is a good idea to find just the right words to describe what you do. You will know you are on the right track when you see this box:
So lets say you are in website development, use keywords like HTML, MySQl, etc. These are words people may use to find someone with your skills.
The more times you come up in search, well..the better!!
-Save business cards. When your meeting people, chatting folks up, make sure to get their business cards. Then go back to your linkedin profile and add them. Yes, simple.
-Put a picture up. This goes for both Twitter and Linkedin, it ads something when you can see what a person looks like.
-The Answers Section!! The most underused, yet powerful tool on the site! It is where the magic happens. This is where people in your field post questions they need help with. They are reaching out for “An Expert”. That expert is you! Get on it, respond, refer, engage, chat it up, etc. This is where networking happens. Questions in my area look like this:
Hope some of these tips help. What are some tools /tricks you use to find a job?
Posted under Tips & Tricks
This post was written by davepeck on July 15, 2009
As someone who recently found a job through a Facebook/podcasting connection I cannot stress enough the need for friending as many people as possible to grow your network. Same goes for LinkedIn.
I know some people are uncomfortable friending so many people (I have > 700 friends on FB) but every connection is one more set of eyes that will see you looking for work, and may have a job or a connection with a job.
FB has tools (friend lists) for limiting what information groups of people see, so if you are not comfortable with the guy you just met and friended on FB seeing pics of your kids – learn to limit access to only your key data. As long as they see your statuses, and learn about your job search – you will stay connected.
It is a numbers game – and the more connections you have, the more chance one will be the one that helps you find a position.
–*Rob
I have to totally agree. I am talking with a CEO of a PR firm today and I met her through #jounchat on Twitter. I just asked her questions outside of the chat and RT her stuff during the chat. So this is a good thing since she is in Chicago and I am in Detroit.
Great insight!
Good luck!
It used to seem like LinkedIn was the best game in town for job-searching….seems like the combo of FB and Twitter now have the bigger combined audience (last stat I saw was that FB has 250 million users, and LinkedIn has 43 million).
I think it depends on your audience… I have some different contacts on LI and FB but both are used for different reasons. If you use it in the right way then you are bound to get the right answer.
Educating students today how to correctly utilize Web 2.0 social media technology to enhance their marketability and establish a professional reputation online should be a mandate in 21st Century schools. Today's youth know how to use technology, but many do not understand how to use it wisely.
I've noticed the same thing, Dave. The pendulum is starting to swing back to companies asking about social media strategies, but throughout June and July, most of my requests were for info about finding a job via social networking.
The lesson I keep hammering — and that seems so hard to grasp — is that trying to find a job using a social networking site isn't the same as building a network that can help you find a job.
One is immediate, need-based, and self-centered. The other is long-term, relationship-based, and mutually rewarding. You can guess which one works