Social Media has come to stay. It is a critical part of most young people and rightly so. Many youth use this platform for entertainment while others use it for other purposes like promoting their business, looking for jobs and general information sourcing.
In your effort to find a job, social media platforms like Facebook, twitter and Instagram can be useful. LinkedIn which is not your traditional social media platform should be your default platform of course after the YEA Job Centre.
Below are some tips to guide you in using these platforms to support your job search.
Top LinkedIn tips
- Create a profile for yourself. Put your best foot forward on your profile. Do not upload your entire CV. Summarise your competencies and experience, and upload on your profile. Ensure you have a formal picture. Employers use your LinkedIn profile as a s first source of knowing you. It is the spot where employers will easily find you.
- Highlight experience. In most cases LinkedIn is the most effective social media tool to showcase your credentials in the business world. Only showcase information you are happy for your current and future employers to see
- LinkedIn matches you to jobs based on your core competence and key expertise. Always update this when something new comes up. Also keep your experiences up to date.
- Keep information up-to-date.Your profile online may be viewed as a reflection of your professionalism so make sure the information is current.
- Creating connections. Connecting with industry professionals will help to show your experience and commitment. Gather as much LinkedIn recommendations as possible. Recommendations by experienced people or people with many followers go a long to increasing your chances of getting noticed by employers.
- Join relevant groups. This will allow you to expand your networks and follow relevant and interesting discussions
- Follow profiles of key organizations and individuals. It gives you first access to job listings and updates on the organization which could be useful in your next interview. Too much information wont hurt you.
- Comment on posts by key individuals and companies especially those that you are interested in working for.
- When you DM people, do well to be polite and concise. Remember it is an employment platform not a place for entertainment.
- Do not post jokes and other inappropriate things on the platform as it will likely be seen by an employer.
Top Facebook tips
- If you want to use Facebook for job search then you have to ensure you find a good balance between your social and professional like
- Anything you do not want a potential employer to see, keep it private. Remember employers like to know what you are like outside of the ‘staged’ world of a job seeker. Most employers will search your Facebook profile to see what you are up to and your perceptions about social issues. Anything compromising could cost you a great job opportunity
- Be careful what you post on Facebook. The internet never forgets. Something you posted five years ago could affect your job search today. If you can go back and clean up your profile and the post.
- Be selective of the companies you ‘like’. You want to be perceived as passionate about the company you are applying for, not that you are willing to work for any company. Make sure there is an element of similarity in the companies that you ’like’ otherwise you look like a joke.
- Join groups that reflect your interests. It shows that you are passionate about your role and profession
- Once in a while Say something sensible. Yes it is primarily an entertainment platform but you have decided to use it for job search thus act the part. As said, recruiters check our profiles all the time.
- Comment on key post by influential people. These comments get noticed. Just like you, everyone likes to see what influencers are saying online thus your post might get noticed by a recruiter who will connect you to an application you submitted.
- There are groups on Facebook of job seekers as well as school year groups. Join any of these groups. Don’t necessarily advertise your job seeking but identify key people in the group and reach out to them through private message. If you can get someone who has their direct contact, that is a better option.
- Delete compromising pictures from your profile. Be as professional as possible though a bit of fun is allowed.
Top twitter and Instagram tips
- No one expects these platforms to be used for job search but why not. Twitter uses relatively short text thus employers will likely not post a lot here. Instagram has mostly pictures
- However companies are reaching people where they are. Employers post link to their employment opportunities here. Others also post images with their posts on Instagram
- Just like Facebook, follow the right employers. You will receive first-hand information
- Follow the rules of posts and image management as indicated under the Facebook tips. It applies here also.