An Employers Viewpoint

The Beginning of Your Career: Your Social Media Presence

Office of Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Students

Russell Conwell Learning Center

What do you see?

What Does the Employer See?

Too often we express inappropriate thoughts….

For Example

» Tara Richardson was a mentor for beginning teachers who sued the Central Kitsap (Washington) School District claiming that she was demoted because of comments she posted on a personal blog. She described one administrator as “ a smug know-it-all creep” who has “a reputation of crapping on secretaries….”

» Two probationary teachers faced termination for their Facebook musings that “I’m feeling pissed because I hate my students,” and I’m “teaching in the most ghetto school in Charlotte.”

Employers Do Check Your Sites

» To help job seekers better understand the role of social media in their job search, CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey last year that asked 2,303 hiring managers and human resource professionals if, how, and why they incorporate social media into their hiring process.

» 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates.

» 65% said they check to see if the job seeker presents himself or herself professionally.

» 51% want to know if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture

» 45% want to learn more about his or her qualifications. Some cited “to see if the candidate is well-rounded” and “to look for reasons not to hire the candidate,” as their motives.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

» Create Relevant Profiles» Network» Be Engaged» Be Known As a Resource» Don’t Ask for a Job» Search For Jobs» Make A Plan

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

1. Create Relevant Profiles» Build compelling, professional profiles for yourself

that include your job history. LinkedIn is an obvious place for such a profile, but Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, among others, are also sites where you can include this kind of information, Schepp says. These profiles should demonstrate not only what you've accomplished, but where your strengths are and what you can offer future employers.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

2. Network» Connect with others in your industry. LinkedIn's

Groups are an excellent place to do this, Schepp says. Search the directory to find Groups in your industry, join those that appear especially active and vibrant, and then introduce yourself to the other members. Build your social capital by becoming known as a source for content.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

3. Be Engaged» Schepp recommends that you follow companies

in your field on LinkedIn and Twitter so you're automatically notified about new hires, product developments, and other news. “Like” companies you’re interested in and join the conversation about industry trends on Facebook. This is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and value to a potential employer, he says.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

4. Be Know as a Resource» Help out others by answering questions, making

introductions, and linking to content, Schepp says. It's very apparent if you have a one-sided "what's in it for me?" mentality. People know to expect that sort of thing from you--but if you regularly answer questions on LinkedIn and provide links to great content on Facebook and Twitter, you are again building that social capital. As a guide, try to give four times for every time you take.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

5. Don’t Ask For a Job» Keep your name in front of people in a position to

help your career. And no, even though you're hidden behind a screen, you still shouldn't ask people outright for a job. Make connections with the right people and let them see you are an intelligent, qualified candidate by updating your statuses several times a week, providing content to the groups you join, and tweeting about that interesting article you just read, Schepp suggests.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

6. Search For Jobs» Turn over those virtual rocks to find job postings,

Schepp says. Most people know about sites like Simply Hired, CareerBuilder, Monster or Indeed. They provide access to millions of job postings and are used by a proportionate number of job seekers. Improve the odds in your favor by looking for jobs on company Twitter feeds, on their Facebook pages, and in LinkedIn Groups.

7 Ways To Use Social Media To Land A Job by Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google

7. Make a Plan» It's also important to have a game plan in mind

when you set out to use these sites as part of a job search. In other words, plan on working on your profile one day, joining groups another, or following companies a third. It all doesn’t have to happen in a day

Electronic Messaging

Do’s and Don’ts of Email

» Do not treat an e-mail like a conversation. In normal conversation we use the feedback of body language to modify our message, pace, tone, and emphasis in order to stay out of trouble. In e-mail we do not have this real-time feedback.

» Keep messages short. A good e-mail should take only 15-30 seconds to read and absorb. Less is more in online communication. Try to have the entire message fit onto the first screen.

» Establish the right tone upfront. E-mail messages have a momentum. If you start on the wrong foot, you will have a difficult time connecting. The “Subject” line and the first three words of a note establish the tone.

» Remember the permanent nature of e-mails. Using e-mail to praise helps people remember the kind words. Using e-mail to be critical is usually a bad idea because people will re-read the note many times.

» Keep your objective in mind. Establish a clear objective of how you want the reader to react to your note. For sensitive notes, write the objective down. When proofreading your note, check to see if your intended reaction is likely to happen. If not, reword the message.

» Avoid “e-mail grenade” battles. Do not take the bait. Simply do not respond to edgy e-mails in kind. Change the venue to be more effective.

» Be careful with use of pronouns in e-mail. Pronouns establish the tone. The most dangerous pronoun in an e-mail is “you.”

» Avoid using “absolutes.” Avoid words such as: never, always, impossible, or cannot. Soften the absolutes if you want to be more credible in e-mails.

» Avoid sarcasm. Humor at the expense of another person in an e-mail will come back to haunt you.» Learn techniques to keep your inbox clean (down to zero notes each day) so you are highly responsive when

needed. Adopting proper distribution rules in your organization will cut e-mail traffic by more than 30% instantly.» Understand the rules for writing challenging notes so you always get the result you want rather than create a

need for damage control.

Electronic Messaging

Do’s and Don’ts of Photos

» Match your brand’s picture to ongoing campaigns» Don’t let your picture go stale» Use the right dimensions» Don’t overwhelm your photo with text» Select a color scheme and stick with it» Have Your Social Media Profiles Completed in Full» Don’t Have Multiple Profiles» You Are What You Tweet…and Share