using social media to job hunt
DESCRIPTION
A presentation given to students at Manchester Metropolitan University during Employability Week on using social media to job hunt.TRANSCRIPT
Using social media to job huntManchester Metropolitan University
Can you find jobs via
social media?
I asked Twitter
• Cheaper than traditional methods
• Reach more relevant candidates
• Get more coverage
• Might know them
Why do employers use social media to find candidates?
2010 Careerbuilder survey:
43% of employers found content that caused them not to hire the candidate
• Candidate showed poor communication skills (31%)
• Candidate posted content related to drink or drugs (10%)
Top reasons for not hiring a candidate:
• Candidate made discriminatory comments (13%)
• Candidate posted inappropriate photographs or information (9%)
Half of employers found content which resulted in a job offer…
• Candidate showed solid communication skills (41%)
• Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit (28%)
• Candidate conveyed a professional image (22%)
Positives of using social media
Three things to consider when using social media to job hunt
• Finding the jobs
• Standing out from the crowd
• Use several sites to make the best impression
• Promotion
• Demonstrate a passion
• Create relationships
• Learn more
• Find a job
Twitter: Promotion
• Profile blurb – promotional box.
• Promoting anything you’ve done relevant to your career (blogs, work experience)
Twitter: Demonstrate a passion
• Post interesting content relating to what you want to do.
• Website links
• Your own thoughts on industry topics
Twitter: Create relationships
• RT and reply to other tweets
• Leave your own opinion
• Get into discussions
Twitter: Learn more
• Follow people in the industry you want to work in.
• Read their tweets
• Read their blogs
Twitter: Finding people to follow
• Lists
• Look at RTd people
• Filtertweeps
Finding interesting people
Twitter: Finding jobs
• Users in an industry usually tweet jobs
• Follow official company accounts – they tweet the jobs first.
• Search: Job titles, #hashtags
• Online CV
• Allow you to keep in contact with ‘connections’
• Share links and information
• Promote your skills and experience
• Job hunt
LinkedIn: Your activity on the site
• Fill in all the details
• Photos
• Professional content
• Recommendations
LinkedIn: Finding connections
• Work experience
• Past jobs
• Networking events
LinkedIn: Getting involved
• Join local groups
• Promote content
• Join discussions
• Keep an eye on job section
insight
Blogging
• Great for promotion and raising awareness
• Display a passion and knowledge
• Increase your knowledge- of industry and platforms
• Promote this content via your social channels
• Posterous/Tumblr
insight
Blog: What to blog about
• Industry news
• Your work – “process story”
• An industry event you’ve been to
• Stuff that interests you
• One or twice every two weeks
• Check your spelling
insight
• Privacy settings – check to see what everyone can see
• Only in very rare circumstances use Facebook i.e pages
Some general pointers
• There are no set rules
• Don’t feel like you have to do all at once
• Stick with it