When it comes to looking for employment,
savvy job seekers put social media to work for them
When was the
last time you looked for a job? Did you mail out paper resumes? Apply to
postings on megasites such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com?
It's time to
try some new tactics. I suggest that you upgrade your online presence so that
you are prepared for Job Search 2.0.
This is not
the job search you conducted even five years ago. I define Job Search 2.0 as
launching an all-out press using social media networks to strategically find
the right opportunity. That means using LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and understanding how
recruiters are using social media networks to find qualified job candidates.
LinkedIn has a
reputation as a recruitment tool. But now Twitter and
Facebook--once used mainly for finding old high school chums and letting people
know what you're reading--also can help with your midlife career switch.
According to the 2009 Jobvite Social Recruitment Survey, employers and
recruiters are using social networks more than ever before:
• 80 percent
use or plan to use social networking to source candidates
• 77 percent
use social networks to find passive (employed and not looking) candidates
• 76 percent
plan to invest more in employee referrals
• 46 percent
will spend more on social networking
• 36 percent
will spend less on job boards
Why has
social networking become so important in the recruitment process? Here are
three simple reasons: Social media offers lower costs and increased access to
higher-quality candidates for employers, and access to more targeted
opportunities for job seekers.
Social
Networking Job Search: A Case Study
Andrea Green,
43, says it only took her a month to land a job in a new town using the social
media networking site LinkedIn.
She had a job
in Lafayette, La., but was looking for fresh start in Washington, D.C. Before
packing her bags, her first task was to find a job in her target city. She
started her search by completing her LinkedIn profile, which means she secured
three online recommendations to get a 100 percent complete profile.
Next, she
searched LinkedIn groups related to her field of project management. Initially,
her search turned up way too many groups, so she narrowed her focus to her
target city. Of the 25 groups that turned up, she joined three. "I
researched these groups to see if any of them had job boards, and I posted
notices that I was looking for a position," Green says. "I was also
able to apply for eight jobs directly."
She scanned
group participants and invited them to join her network. "I would reach
out by sending a message through LinkedIn reminding them that I was a member of
their group. I would ask them about the job market in their town. I found
people really helpful--even recruiters who didn't have positions would give
advice and share contacts."
Within four
weeks of her initial posting, Green received a message from someone in her extended
LinkedIn network pointing her to a recruiter who had project management
openings in the D.C. area. Green connected with the recruiter through LinkedIn
and later sent her resume via e-mail. She landed an interview--which resulted
in a job offer the same day.
Green says
job seekers must be willing to put themselves out there using social media to
expand their professional networks. She shares these tips:
• Update your
resume and have it done professionally.
• Know what
you're looking for in a job so your network can help you.
• Don't be
afraid to contact people you don't know online.
Career coach
Tai Goodwin, publisher of careermakeovercoach.com,
says many job seekers make the mistake of jumping right to available positions
posted on job boards. "A better starting place is using tools like
LinkedIn to identify companies they want to work for," she says.
"Look for companies that are aligned with your values, have a work
environment that's in line with your needs, and that have a solid reputation
when it comes to how they treat their employees. Then look for jobs in those
companies."
Candidates
should think of themselves as a business and the companies they're pursuing as
the target audience. "Monster and Careerbuilder are great places to see
what jobs are out there, and even do some keyword research for revising your
resume," Goodwin says. "But given how swamped job boards are, I recommend
using them after you've identified the target companies you want to work
for."
New and
Noteworthy
Since January
2009, the Charlotte, NC-based website Tweetmyjobs.com has
attracted 44,000 job seekers. Candidates set up profiles to find temporary and
full-time employment, and the website lets job seekers filter information from
more than 9,000 job channels. On average, the site posts 768,000 job tweets a
month and sends out instant job updates via Twitter and text messages. One of
the great things about Tweetmyjobs.com is its simplicity--you don't need to be
a power Twitter user to use the service.
Other job
search resources include:
• Twitjobsearch.com scours Twitter,
flagging tweets about job openings and allowing job seekers to find relevant
opportunities among the noise of Twitter.
• JobDeck is a
joint venture between TweetDeck.com and Twitterjobsearch. JobDeck is a twitter
management tool specifically for job hunting. This application allows you to
manage your Twitter job search and connect with contacts across Twitter,
Facebook and LinkedIn from one screen.
• Indeed.com is one of the most
comprehensive search engines for jobs and is simple to use. Since 2004, Indeed
has given job seekers free access--instantly, in a single search--to millions
of jobs from thousands of company websites and job boards.
Mining
Facebook
Do you plan
to use Facebook to find a job? Goodwin says the network is a good tool and that
your success will depend on the friends in your network.
"You can
e-mail your Facebook network to let them know about your job search and ask for
referrals," she says. "My best recommendation for using Facebook is
to join career-related groups and connect to Fan Pages of career coaches who
can offer you tips and resources to help with your search."
Have you had
success using social networking to find a job? Reuling and Associates welcomes
your comments and suggestions.
Reuling
& Associates is currently filling all level positions within Sales, HR,
Accounting/Finance, Technology, Creative Services and Health Care.
Contact |
Reuling and Associates:
751 Roosevelt Road, Suite 115
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
p. 630.446.0746
f. 800.861.1499
e. info@reulingandassociates.com
www.reulingandassociates.com
751 Roosevelt Road, Suite 115
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
p. 630.446.0746
f. 800.861.1499
e. info@reulingandassociates.com
www.reulingandassociates.com
