You never want to put yourself in the position of losing an opportunity or your job because of your activities on Facebook and Twitter. Companies are more likely to hire and keep employees who do not partake in questionable social media activities. Sometimes, comments people leave on public forums can produce a dreaded pink slip. While you have the right to your opinions and free speech, make sure you understand your employers or potential employers policies. We hear so often about how NOT to use social media as a professional, but what is less often discussed is how you can use social media when job hunting and maintaining your professional status.
Social media can be very useful professionally. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can all be used to further your career and share your professional personality.
LinkedIn acts as your own virtual resume on a virtual networking platform. The idea that recruiters, employers, coworkers, and other interested people can find your body of work and reach out to you with just the click of a mouse is a very appealing prospect. Making LinkedIn really worthwhile takes more than a polished profile and professional profile picture. Connecting with professionals in your field of work, joining LinkedIn groups, and posting relevant updates are all ways to attract the attention you want and more opportunities. When you are actively looking for employment opportunities on LinkedIn, take the time to look at the Hiring Manager’s profile. You may find information that you can use to tailor your cover letter to your strengths and the needs of the organization. Putting a fraction of the work in to your LinkedIn activity will maintain a positive and professional profile.
Facebook can also be used for your job search and to increase visibility in your field. Connections from volunteers, college contacts, former professors, former and current co-works; all of these people can and should be in your Facebook network. By posting relevant news and topics of interest to these groups, you gain that visibility which can help you when searching for the next opportunity. Let friends know that you are looking and what you are looking for and you will be the first person in their mind when a position opens up at their company. Then when your company is hiring, you can return the favor. The key to keeping your professional and private life separate are those Facebook lists. Used correctly and maintained, you can choose exactly who gets to see the pictures from your weekend fun or more personal posts to your volunteer activities or career news.
Twitter is another media that has attracted professionals as it is a very easy and quick way to share a message. Hiring managers will often post about open job opportunities with a link to a more detailed post. Professional associations and companies will post news about upcoming events, advances in the field, and other related topics. You can use it for sharing your resume. By tweeting the hiring manager with a link to your resume, you will stand out and show your internet savvy. Retweeting communication from the CEO of a company you want to work for, or someone you want to work with will show that you are like minded. Ask them to follow you as you tweet about topics in your field. Then when you are looking for a job and tweet your resume, they will be the first to see it and click the link. You can also join hashtag discussions about topics that interest you to connect with link minded professionals. One word of caution though, make sure your Twitter has a professional handle and be sure to understand how you can communicate with narrow and large groups.
I usually post by, “Would I show or say this to my boss?” when it comes to social media. Take some time to understand how to use the media and how you can make privacy settings work for all of your audiences. Use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter when you are ready for that next step on your career path and consider your audiences when posting.
[For more on Using LinkedIn for Professional Connections]
[For more on Smart Ways to Use Social Media in Your Job Search]
[For more on using How to Use Twitter to Land a Job]
Thursdays with Maggie 