5 Steps for Using Social Media in a Job Search

To get a job today, it is imperative for job seekers to create a purposeful and professional web presence. But, despite this clear directive, many job hunters still find it distressing, due to privacy concerns, or lack of confidence in—or comfort using—the social media tools, and decide to opt-out of social media altogether. According to Laura Labovich, Founder of Aspire! Empower! Career Strategy Group, a Washington, D.C.-based career firm, “Companies are turning to social media sites to look for candidates at a breakneck pace, and to catch the attention of prospective employers, and to be viewed favorably when stacked up against the competition, job search must be paired with a proactive social presence.”

In a recent article entitled “No More Resumes, Some Firms Say,” the Wall Street Journal showcased the recruiting protocol of Union Square Ventures, a New York venture-capital firm that recently posted a position for an investment analyst. “Instead of asking for resumes,” the V.C. firm asked applicants to “send links representing their web presence.”

The lesson for job seekers? Don’t get caught with no online presence when looking for a job. Follow the 5-steps below to easily launch an online job search:

1. Search inside before proceeding outside. Job seekers who spend ample time on soul search, tend to conduct a job search with greater efficiency and fewer stumbling blocks, and the reason for this is simple: employers expect candidates to know what they want. So, it’s important for job hunters to be clear about the value offered. Assessments can help struggling job seekers to crystallize positioning and get clear on value. Once the soul search is out of the way, it’s time to share it with the world.
2. Join LinkedIn.com and complete the profile to 100 percent. Keep it up to date with a recent and professional photo, recommendations, and a powerful, authentic and personable LinkedIn profile that speaks to the target audience. Get help from a professional writer or career coach if this becomes tenuous.
3. Share expertise. Participate in online groups and answer questions on LinkedIn to demonstrate knowledge in a particular field or industry. Becoming an “insider” can yield more contacts, at a faster pace, and help job seekers stay abreast of industry trends and challenges.
4. Figure out the Twitter “thing.” Pair a LinkedIn strategy with a Twitter one to engage in personal dialogue with company insiders and industry experts. Hone in on a marketing message, create a 160 character bio, begin tweeting. Keep your tweets 75 percent professional and 25 percent personal, as a general rule. Finally, seek out other experts to follow, by using directories such as: ExecTweets, WeFollow and Twellow. Most importantly, be generous by re-tweeting what others say, and creating interesting and original content that is on point with career target and valuable to the Twitter community.
5. Add video to the mix. For job seekers with little to no presence, who are “ungoogleable” or considered invisible to the search engines, a good rule of thumb is: “video is king.” One quick way to be found online is to create a video and upload it to YouTube, as it will find it’s way to the top of Google search results.

— Article courtesy of Laura M. Labovich, MLRHR, Founder and President of Aspire! Empower! Career Strategy Group. Laura is a Guild Certified Five O’Clock Club Career Coach, an award-winning résumé writer, and the co-author of the soon-to-be-published book: “100 Conversations for Career Success: Learn to Tweet, Cold Call and Network Your Way to a Dream Job.”