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10 Ways to Land Your Next Job Through Social Media

May 23, 2011 7

I was recently interviewed by the San Diego Reader on using Social Media to enhance your job search. I shared tips on specific things job seekers can do on social media to improve their chances of standing out to potential employers and I was honest in letting the Reader know that I won’t consider hiring someone if they don’t have a LinkedIn profile.  The full article is here. In this post, I’ve compiled a more clear and comprehensive list on how job seekers can use social media and other digital tools to land their next job.

PREPARING FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH

1.  Clean up your Digital Footprints– Check your Facebook Privacy Settings to ensure that anything too personal isn’t visible on public Facebook searches. Make sure your Twitter stream isn’t filled with party tweets  and do a quick Google search of your name to see if anything that might deter an employer shows up. If you find something unworthy do your best to find the source of that post to get it removed.

2. Optimize Your LinkedIn profile– Make sure you’ve claim your unique LinkedIn URL under “Public Profile Settings”on the bottom right click  “Your public profile URL”. Update your summary and specialties using keywords and skills required in the current jobs you’re applying for. Request former employers and partners for LinkedIn recommendations on the work you’ve done.

3. Buy Your Own Domain Name– Whether you’re a job seeker or not, this is a great way to brand yourself as a professional. If your  name is already taken, purchase a similar variation. You can use this page for your blog, online portfolio or even just as a landing page which links to your other social networks. Having your own domain will benefit you, especially if you’re seeking a job in any marketing or technology related field.

4. Register for a professional email address – If you’re still using an email address from your cable company such as cox.net or san.rr.net you’re demonstrating lack of understanding on the importance of having a reliable email address. If you change cable companies, your email address is gone. Using an email address from another company or from your university also gives the same message. Use a permanent email address, preferably your own domain. If this isn’t possible I recommend registering for a gmail address. It used to be popular to claim an email address such as beachman21@hotmail or sunshinechick@yahoo, etc. In this day and age it’s important to brand yourself professionally through your email address because often when corresponding to set up an interview, your email is the first impression your employer has about you. Use your real name so the person emailing you back has a reference to remember you before and after the interview.

DURING THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS

5.  Save “Advanced Job Searches”– This is an efficient way to learn about new jobs posted  that fit your criteria. This varies by website  but you’re often able to customize criteria for jobs you’re seeking such as location, keywords in the Job Title, Level, etc under their “Advanced Search”. After typing in your criteria for a new job  you’ll often find an option to “Save” the search. Each time you return to the site, rather than searching again, you can go back and review your “Saved Searches” to see if anything new has been posted. Some sites also offer an RSS Feed you can subscribe to for your specific job search. You can add the RSS feed to your browser bookmarks for easy access in reviewing new job postings.

6. Read Blogs about Industry Related Topics– Make sure you do as much research as possible not only about the companies you’re applying for but the entire industry. When you step into the interview, it will be beneficial to understand major news that’s happening in your field. Your knowledge will shine through during the interview process. Blogs provide you with personal insight from people who work directly at the companies and industries you’re interested in.

7. Use Social Bookmarks to Organize Your Job SearchDelicious.com is my social bookmarking tool of choice. It allows you to organize websites you visit, tag pages and take notes about each web page. You can create folders for topics relating to your job search and bookmark all the websites that fit your folder topic such as: Job Search Tips, Companies you’ve applied to, Industry News and Articles, etc. You can access your delicious account anywhere on the web.

8. Tweet about relevant industry topics/articles– As you do your research from reading blogs, tweet/share articles you find beneficial to people in your industry. Also post tips you’ve learned from your research. Even if your employer doesn’t check your Twitter account, the act of posting valuable information makes you more resourceful and knowledgeable.

DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

9.  Look up your Interviewers on Social Media Before the Interview– If you understand the career history of your interviewer you’ll be able to speak to things that may related to him/her. You’ll also have insight on their background which will help you understand why certain questions they’re asking may be important.

10.  Follow up through Email, Social Media AND a Thank You Card– After the interview, immediately follow up with a thank you email stating your gratitude for the interview and enthusiasm for the position. Also let the interviewer know you’ll connect with them on LinkedIn or another relevant Social Network. This way they expect your request and know you’ll be reaching out to them. In addition to following up digitally, add an old fashioned personal touch by sending a hand written thank you. This is a unique way to stay top of mind and demonstrate your appreciation.

If anyone has additional Job Search tips related to Social Media, please feel free to share! If you have success stories on using Social Media to land your current job, I would love to hear them as well. To all the job seekers out there, best of luck to you and here’s prosperous career ventures in a digital age!


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7 comments Leave a comment

    • Anonymous says...

      Hi Steve, I agree with you there are so many other ways to use Social Media, that’s the beauty of the internet. This article just highlights some of the most basic tips. I love your idea to buy targeted ads. I didn’t include that in this article but I’ve actually included that tip in presentations I’ve given on this topic! 

  1. SanDiego says...

    One thing I’ve done that has proved helpful is this:

    1) Look up the person you are interviewing with on LinkedIn. LinkedIn will show you any “degrees of separation” – in other words, other people that you are connected to, that also know that person.

    2) Contact YOUR LinkedIn contacts, and ask them a) how well do they know this person you will be interviewing with, and b) will they be willing to send them a quick email of recommendation for you?

    I have done this a few times and it’s been really helpful. I walk into my first interview with someone and they say, “hey, I received an email about you from so-and-so; he highly recommends you.” It at least starts your interview off on a great note, and if they haven’t invited you in for an interview it may encourage them to find your resume in their stack and do so.

    • Anonymous says...

      These are great tips, especially since LinkedIn is such a powerful tool for job seekers and recruiters! I will definitely be including these tips when I write a follow up post on this topic!

  2. Toby Guillette says...

    Hey Melodie, just wanted to let you know I talked about you and this article today in my monthly professional development meeting. I thought this article was really helpful from my perspective while interviewing and hiring our next round of interns for the summer. I will be building these principles into our “curriculum” so I can better help them prepare for their next steps. Thanks again for being awesome at what you do!

    • Anonymous says...

      Hi Toby, Thanks for the compliment and thanks so much for sharing this resource with your team. I’m glad you found it helpful and am happy hear you’re spreading the word about using Social Media as a beneficial tool! Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you and your team have other questions on this topic!

  3. Pingback: I’m Hiring a Marketing Intern, Apply Today! : Marketing Melodie

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