Leverage Social Media in your Job Search

Leverage Social Media in your Job Search

In this growing digital age, companies are increasingly using social media platforms to find their next best talent. While your Resume / CV communicates your professional achievements & experience, screening your social media profile helps the employers to get a glimpse into your personality beyond your Resume / CV. As a job-seeker, social-media can be a very powerful tool to find a job. Below are some tips to tap into the power of Social Media and use it to add to your advantage.

Update your profile periodically

Completing your profile with the most updated information about you makes it easy to grab attention of the potential recruiter. Specifically, with platforms like LinkedIn, present a professionally dressed picture of yourself. Include a full history of your work & education records. Mention all the awards and recognitions won in the previous years. Give a brief summary about yourself, this is a best way to pitch your experience and achievements in a in a single snapshot.

Keep your profile very clean

You should have a clear, friendly and appropriately professional image across all social media platforms. This doesn’t mean you remove your party pictures. Everything that is visible on your public profile must impress the viewer and give them a positive image about yourself. Maintaining a consistent name and picture across all social platform, helps in building your personal brand. Avoid sharing articles and posts that are politically influencing or could be offensive or insulting to someone.

Demonstrate your knowledge

Social Media platforms are not just to connect with people and see what is happening in their lives, it is also a platform for you to highlight your skills, knowledge and experience with the world. If you write on any blogs or publish any articles, post the relevant links and publication images on your Social Media platform. Post a brief about any special project that you may have undertaken and share insights from your learnings. The potential employers would be interested to know that you remain updated with the industry trends.

Join the conversations

Every social media allows you to connect with groups and public communities to network. Join such groups and communities relevant to your industry, as also follow the companies and people that interested / inspire you. This will allow you to remain updated about the happenings in your industry. It is always a good idea to participate in any discussion and put forward your expert opinions, but be careful about the views your share as everything you put out there will reach the mass and remain there.

Build your Network

Just adding people in to your profile or accepting connection requests is not building a network. Whether you reached out to an individual or an they reached out to you, you are now connected. Try to develop this connection further.Pick up a phone and make a call, catch up for a coffee, just text each other, whatever you do get to know your connection better. Don’t just leave it as another number in your count. Understand what they can offer you. Think of what you can offer them. Remember that networking is a mutually beneficial relationship, if you have built and developed your network, it will help your during the times you need.

Personalize your messages

While making a new connection request of social media, add a personalized message to an individual you are trying to establish connection with. This adds tremendous value on your invitation. Similarly it is advisable not to post messages randomly on peoples timeline. In fact personalizing such message and sending them as a private message impresses the individual.

Get recommendations

Social Media is a powerful tool to develop your image. Seek for genuine recommendations from clients, professional associates, business connection, Superiors, etcas they will hold a much higher perceived value as compared to recommendations given by friends form school and colleagues from work. Recommendation endorsing your achievements, skills, capabilities play the most important role in projecting you as a desirable candidate.

Add your social profile to your resume

Having an active social presence can make you look appealing to potential recruiters in many ways. Your social profile primarily acts as your informal recommendation and employers are going to search for your profile to know more about you. It is always recommended to provide your social profile link on your contact section of your Resume / CV.