Five Ways to Use Social Media to Find Your Next Job

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  • On Thursday, President Obama is scheduled to speak to Congress about the Jobs Report that came out last week showing that over 9 percent of the country is unemployed. Here at What’s Trending, we think of all things social media, s can understanding your online presence help you keep your job or even get a new one? The bulk send linkedin messages is also one of the upcoming trends.

    A new survey by Career Enlightenment, reported that almost 80 perecent of hiring managers and recruiters review an applicants online presence before making their hiring decision. While appearing non-existent online could help you avoid any possible job faux-pas, if you are an internet junkie there are ways to take advantage of all these tools, get creative and embrace the possibilities to get the job of your dreams.

    1) @TweetMyJobs

    While Craigslist or sites like Monster.com are the go-to destinations for some, companies are posting job openings on Twitter using the hashtag #tweetmyjobs. With over 41,000 followers, you can also follow the @tweetmyjobs account for real-time updates on openings and inspirational quotes.

    Speaking of Twitter, most companies now have their recruitment staff patrolling the service. Find out who those people are and @ reply their Twitter accounts directly. You’d be surprised how responsive they are to people who simply reach out, show passion and persistence. (Obviously, being qualified probably helps too! Just saying…)

    2) The Digital Resume

    This isn’t the 1900s. Get creative with your resume and stop wasting paper people! You can create a career page on Path.to, “a professional profile that not only defines you, but helps you get noticed.”

    If you know how to charm the camera and are digitally savvy, you might want to jump on the YouTube bandwagon and produce interactive video resume like Graeme Anthony did:

  • 3) Branchout.com

    While many people like to separate their home life from their professional life on Facebook or avoid the latter all together, there are ways to use their over 750 million users to your advantage–without getting too personal. Just login to your account through Branchout.com, which pegs itself as the “largest professional network on Facebook”, and you’ll discover a side of the socialnetwork you never knew existed.

    4) The Social Resume

    Who said only celebrities could have public pages? These days, we’re all brands. Learn from Henry who created the ultimate “Social Resume” on Facebook with a video introduction and links to all of his social networks in one easy to navigate page.

    5) LinkedIn

    After a potential employer googles you, LinkedIn is probably the second place an they will go to check up on your credentials. So make sure it’s up to date with your jobs, references and connections. Moreover, don’t just wait for employers to come to you, use its over 1160 million user database for potential opportunities as well. You’d be surprised at how many people you’re randomly connected to.

    Now what are you waiting for? The work doesn’t only start when you’re hired, but I promise you might have some fun if you take these pointers seriously. The tools are there to make anything you want happen!

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