Get Back to Social Media Basics

Get Back to Social Media BasicsGet Back to Social Media BasicsIncorporate social media into your job-search strategy to find the right job, faster.In the past four weeks weve worked to update your image, craft a professional resume, manage your search on the go, and overhaul your online brand. This fifth and final assignment is designed to help you take your job search to the next level. This week, were getting back to social media basics.A Jobvite social recruiting survey revealed that 92 percent of recruiters and HR professionals use social media as part of their recruiting strategy. If youre not incorporating at least some of these channels into your job search, youre missing out. My goal is to help you understand the best ways to incorporate social media to build up your personal brand, expand your network, and uncover additional job leads.TwitterIn short, Twitter allows you to communicate and absorb tidbits of information in 140 characters or less. While you can use Twitter to e xtend your personal brand by building a professional account and tweeting articles and opinions related to your line of work, I dont think its the right move for everyone.I like to use Twitter for reconnaissance. Create an account thats not associated with your professional brand and use it to gather intel on recruiters, hiring managers and companies youre targeting in your search. For instance, companies like Verizon and GE (and of course, Twitter ) have feeds set up to blast out their latest openings. You can also follow job search experts like me to get tips throughout the week.FacebookMost people are familiar with Facebook these days. While its a great place to socialize with friends, I dont think its the best way to promote your professional brand to prospective employers because you have to be so careful with security settings. In fact, I recommend using your first and middle name on your account so outsiders wont find it during a general search.That said, there are ways to ke ep your Facebook account hidden from recruiters and totenstill reap benefits for your search. Fill out the Work and Education section to align with your resume so friends can view your career to date. You can also use the Branchout app to find out if any of your Connections work at your target companies. This is a great way to identify people for informational interviews or employee referrals.LinkedInLinkedIn is a great way to grow your professional online presence and utilize your network. When you meet someone at an event, send a thoughtful connection request that references how you met and when. Build out a robust profile that aligns with your resume and highlights the skill sets, certifications and professional memberships most relevant to your job goals.Join and actively participate in LinkedIn groups related to your line of work recruiters are notorious for trolling these groups in search of candidates to fill their roles. If youre interested in switching careers, search for former colleagues whove moved on to see where else their experience was accepted. Similar to Facebook, use the advanced search features to find connections for informational interviews and employee referrals.PinterestPinterest is a visual learners best friend. It allows you to pin images found online and organize them into different boards to help you organize anything from a big event to a house improvement project. Each image is connected back to a webpage. If youre in a creative role, consider developing a professional account to display your work to others.Recently companies like Sodexo and Aon started using Pinterest to promote their products and careers. Search for your target companies (make sure youre searching by Pinners) to view boards that will provide insight into corporate culture and job opportunities.Here at Ladders we believe in helping our job seekers find the right job, faster. And that requires you to incorporate social media into your search efforts to maximize y our results. Consider using some of the tools I mentioned above in conjunction with your Ladders membership and their free app. I wish you and your families all the very best this holiday season and look forward to helping you with your searches in the New YearLooking for some more information on different social media channels? Check out these free social media tutorials by GCFLearningFree.org.