Lily Shippen Recruitment Agency | Making the most of social media

Social media – there’s no avoiding it. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+ … we’re a society addicted to our laptops, tablets and smartphones. Given our heavy reliance on technology, it comes as no surprise that social media is now also being used as a tool to help us find employment. Get it right and social media will work in your favour, but, get it wrong and you could ruin your chances of being hired. In this article, we’re sharing with you our top tips on how to make the most out of social media when looking for employment.

Get yourself online

First things first, if you’re looking for employment and don’t have social media, you’re missing a trick. Social networking sites such as, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are full of job opportunities and so by using them you automatically widen your job search.

On top of that, social media is often used by potential employers and recruiters to learn more about you and to check that you are who you say you are.

Create a personal brand

Creating a personal brand through social media is a great way of showcasing yourself to prospective employers. You want prospective employers to get a feel of what you are all about.

Start by carefully selecting a suitable and representative profile picture. Remember that LinkedIn is a professional platform so a head shot of you wearing conservative clothing would be best.

If there is the option of adding a bio, as there is with LinkedIn and Twitter, use this space to describe who you are, what you do and what you stand for. Take care when writing your bio – it’s your virtual first impression.

Partially finished social media accounts look lazy. In particular, make sure that all sections of your LinkedIn profile are complete with your employment history, education, as well as your job-related skills. Think of your LinkedIn profile like your digital CV – gaps are a big no-no!

Make sure you’re squeaky clean

You should always be aware of what you’re posting online, but even more so when you’re applying for jobs. After receiving your CV, most HR departments and recruitment consultants will google you before deciding whether or not to progress any further with your application. Depending on what they find could significantly affect your chances of getting the job. Make sure that there is no information available online that portrays you in an unfavorable light.

Avoid using inappropriate language, posting pictures displaying unprofessional behavior, and publishing content that is politically divisive or that could be considered offensive. Never post criticisms about current or former employers or rant about your personal life online.

Changing your Twitter and Facebook settings to private might seem like the safest bet as a job seeker, however it’s not advisable. If you already have a Twitter account and are worried that tweets from 2010 are going to come back to haunt you, create a new professional account and set your existing one to private.

On Facebook, tagged pictures, personal photo albums and statuses should be set so that only your friends can see them. Facebook gives you the option to select who can view your status before you post it. Take advantage of this feature by publically posting industry-related content every now and again.

Be active

Regularly post content related to the industry that interests you. Whether it’s a re tweet on Twitter or sharing an article on LinkedIn, the important thing is that you show your enthusiastic about your prospective employers.

Get in the know

Through social media you can find out more about a company’s practices, values and history as well as learning more about what activity they are currently involved in. This information will come in very handy if you are preparing for an interview. If in an interview a candidate can quote that the company has just finished organizing an event or reference a recent achievement broadcast on social media, it shows that the candidate is interested in the company.

Network

Following major players in your field on Twitter is a great way to start building a network. An easy way to start interacting with these individuals is to re-tweet one of their posts or to reply to an article posted by them. Once you have exchanged with a recruiter or hiring manager, it is much easier to privately message them and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.

Social media platforms facilitate face-to-face networking. Typically networking events, conferences and other business events are advertised on Twitter and Facebook. Before the event you can see which of your contacts are going and arrange to meet with them.

Connect with people on Twitter and LinkedIn at companies that you are looking to work for. Join career relevant groups on LinkedIn and Facebook to connect you with like minded people and expand your network further. Always accept connection and follow requests from all real people – you never where a new connection may take you.

Look for job offers

There are various ways that you can use social media to search for jobs.  You should start with LinkedIn which has a search engine that pulls up job vacancies that can be narrowed down using filters such as, location, experience level, company, job title and industry.

You can also use Twitter’s search bar to look for job vacancies. When advertising a job on Twitter many employers add job-related hashtags so that a larger volume of job seekers will see it. To find these job advertisements, simply search hashtags related to the job you want in the search bar. For best results, always include a general hashtag such as, #jobs or #hiring accompanied by more specific hashtags that apply to your field and location; for example, #officemanager and #Manchester.

Most companies will have a Twitter and Facebook page – some will even have accounts dedicated to their hiring initiatives. Following and liking companies on social media is a great way to find out about their latest job opportunities.  Following recruitment consultants, career counselors and head hunters is another great way to use Twitter as part of your job search. As well as publishing job vacancies, these accounts will fill your feed with advice and information to help you with your job search.