When people think of social media in the workplace, it is normally something you stay away from. If anything, being on Facebook and Twitter at work is associated with losing your job. But what if I told you that you can actually use social media to find a job?
Here are 12 most creative ways to use social media when looking for a job:
One of the more modern ways to scout potential employees, companies are turning to Twitter chats to find engaging, knowledgeable candidates. Try hashtags like #jobhuntchat to join in on the fun.
Facebook targeting allows you to get very specific. You can target by company, job title, city, and more. Whether you target an ad to your dream company’s HR department or to a specific person thanking them for an interview, it is a great (and inexpensive) way to get noticed.
Who needs a paper resume when we have YouTube? Create a concise, professional video and really show your future employer your personality.
Twitter has a pretty advanced search tool if you go to search.twitter.com. Search terms like “internship,” “need job,” etc. and you will find tons of employers tweeting job postings.
The fasted way to interact with a company you want to work with is liking their Facebook page. Be an engaging fan and stand out to those monitoring the page. If you provide insightful comments, you may stand out as a potential job candidate.
On LinkedIn you are supposed to friend only those you know well. However, you can “get introduced” to those you don’t know through your connections. Use your connections to reach HR representatives and high level execs.
Most (not all) CEOs tweet for themselves. Normally, the brand is the one getting most of the @replies, not the CEO. If you tweet directly at the CEO, or any other decision-maker at the company, you will likely receive a response.
Yes, we all have a ton of social networks that we want to share, but who wants to attach a million links to your email or resume? About.me allows you to have all social networks in one place with one short link.
LinkedIn’s job platform is not only very advanced, but also highly used by employers around the world. Check often and sign up for email digests so LinkedIn can send job recommendations straight to you.
If you plan on applying for a job in social media, the typical resume isn’t going to cut it. A creative infographic will help you stand out. You don’t need a graphic design background to make one. There are tons of sites, such as visual.ly, that will help you create the perfect graphic.
There are tons of Twitter handles that are focused on providing job resources. Following sources like @InternQueen, @intern, @socialmediajobs will assist in your job hunt.
Similarly to writing on Facebook pages of companies you want to work for, joining company LinkedIn groups will have the same effects. Plus, companies will post jobs in these groups too!
Are these things time consuming and difficult? Not really. But they can land you a job in social media. Start tweeting and posting your way to a job instead of minimizing your Facebook every time your boss walks by!
Featured image courtesy of celesteh licensed via Creative Commons.
Cara Friedman is the VP of Education at @LikeableMedia, an award winning social media and word of mouth marketing agency. Cara is a social media geek, Harry Potter fanatic, blogger, Disney-lover, and pop culture follower. Follow Cara on Twitter @Caraizzle.
This was incredibly helpful! I just was reading other articles on info-graphics and wanted to explore them further, and the visual.ly site is awesome! I cannot wait to t use this site to my advantage, maybe even for portfolio reviews? Stoked! Thank you for such incredible recommendations. As a senior graduating in the spring with a PR degree this is going to be really helpful.
Great post ! Very informative. I like the Video Resume and About.me idea. These two tips will set you apart from other competitors if you use it well.
Great article! It's crazy how many people I know from the University of Oregon PR and Advertising programs who have gotten jobs from contacting people in those fields through Twitter. It is definitely the window to the CEO. You can contact just about anyone you'd like, and most of the time they will reply.
Heya, this is a great article. I'd not heard of all of these previously and About.me sounds really good so I definitely need to check it out.
@Caraizzle Thank you for listing all these resources. LinkedIn is a good source for my job hunt. Twitter chats have also introduced me to groups of like minded individuals and networking in real time. I will check out your other tips.
I look at my blogging and social media activities as being a gateway to a better job. I think a lot of the marketing jobs out there are about being able to build a brand and showing that you can manage and track various types of media campaigns. Managing a blog and building a following is a way to show those skills and keep them sharp.
Latest blog post: Building Community Brick By Brick
1 Like
This is a very helpful post, Cara.
I think people really need to try new things these days to make their presence known and social media provides the perfect vehicle to do that! Thanks for laying it all out. (and welcome to 12 Most!!!)
I really liked the Video Resume idea...I wish more resources used it because I would definitely leverage. After awhile, technical resumes can become "noise"...I swear somebody has a master somewhere that keeps getting copied with a few fill-in-the-blanks. The Twitter chat was also intriguing, and LinkedIn is "where it is at" in my opinion. That is the first place I look when scouting for new resources.
@dbvickery I completely agree about LinkedIn being the "go-to" place for recruiting. That's the first place I look when my company is hiring!
[...] 12 Most Creative Ways To Get A Job With Social Media | Cara Friedman share 12 Most creative ways to get a job with Social Media. Awesome tips! Source: 12most.com [...]
[...] 12 Most Creative Ways To Get A Job With Social Media | Cara Friedman share 12 Most creative ways to get a job with Social Media. Awesome tips! Source: 12most.com [...]
[...] an awesome article on job seeking using social media. It can be found in it’s entirety at The 12 Most but here are some important take aways for recent grads and those entering the job [...]
[...] an awesome article on job seeking using social media. It can be found in it’s entirety at The 12 Most but here are some important take aways for recent grads and those entering the job [...]
[...] 12 Most Creative Ways To Get A Job With Social Media | Cara Friedman share 12 Most creative ways to get a job with Social Media. Awesome tips! Source: 12most.com [...]
[...] you haven’t started, you should jump in before you get left behind. Now we’ll look at 12 Most Creative Ways to Get A Job with Social Media. These tips will help you catch the eyes of your prospective employers and enhance your chance of [...]
[...] If social media is your thing, the next website might work very well for you since they recommend the following- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, About.me and video resumes: http://12most.com/2011/11/16/creative-ways-job-social-media/ [...]