SOCIAL MEDIA
Many people use social media as a means to keep up with friends, current events that they are interested in, and to socialize with people. But in terms of job seeking – the most astute and exemplary among us use this as a shrewd tool to network and build their online presence
It is helpful to think of social media not as just something enjoyable, something you do to socialize, or to stay in touch with friends. It is helpful to think of your social media activity as a tool you can use to help you get into the career you are looking for
IMPORTANT FACTS
– 40% of recruiters will check your social media presence to learn more about you
– After employee referrals and company websites, social media is the most important recruiting tool
– Content on your social media can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on what you put on there
– LinkedIn and Discord are the main online platforms that can provide everyday people with the means to network effectively. Giving them the means to showcase their talents and to build an online presence
STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE ONLINE NETWORKING
Any person can network. Whether they are young or old, employed or unemployed, rich and famous, or just an ordinary person. In order to do this effectively, we should first have a clear understanding in our heads of what networking is. And the answer is quite simple – networking is the art of building contacts and relationships with people or organisations for the purposes of maximising potential opportunities in our given area of interest (in this instance our area of interest is potential job opportunities for the purpose of finding work). Like the interview process itself, some people find the process of networking a superficial, generic pursuit, and therefore are put off by the prospect. However, this is not a helpful way to think about it, and simply by being pleasant and taking the time and effort to get noticed by people and striking up conversations with them can sometimes open up a wealth of untapped opportunity. When we speak of ‘networking’ with people it’s nothing complex, and it’s certainly nothing sinister – it is simply an extenuation of our basic socialising skills – by taking deliberate, calculated social actions to get to know people. Part of an effective networking strategy should be to deliberately identify people and organisations that may be able to help us achieve our goals; we then attempt to engage with them and build good relationships with them. The principle behind all forms of networking is essentially the same – we are essentially looking for opportunities to build trust and ways to engage with people
Let’s look at some of the strategies we can use with online networking
ONE OF THE BEST STRATEGIES IS TO CREATE YOUR OWN CONTENT
LinkedIn and Discord are a couple of the best platforms that provide people with the means to network effectively. They give you the means to showcase your talents which in turn can enable you to build an online presence. Use these sites to search for people who could be prospective employers. Follow them, read up on literature and articles published by them, and think about ways you can legally incorporate some of this content. If something in their content inspires you, or if you have an idea of your own, a theory (political, economic or otherwise), or if you have a strong passion or understanding about something to do with the job field you are interested in, create your own content for it. You can do this in the form of an online blog, or an online video, you can compose your own online articles or opinion pieces, or create your own ‘calls to action’, to name just a few things – try your best to add a few snippets of the most insightful elements from any prospective employer’s tweets and publishing’s into your content. Tag them in, and cite them in your content as a reference and source of your inspiration. This is a first-class way of networking that can help you build a genuine relationship/ rapport with some of these people that you can then build upon
(Remember that you can also use these sites as well as other online resources to search for information about prospective employers beforehand as well)
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ONLINE VISIBILITY
Increasing your online visibility is an action that goes hand and hand with an effective online networking strategy. Again, this is nothing complex – just small, perfunctory actions that will increase your online presence and boost any potential networking base
1. List your skills and complete your profile on the relevant social media sites
2. Remember to check your online privacy settings, as your social media presence can be searched by prospective employers
3. Add any relevant links that you have to your profile
4. Get actively involved on social media sites by giving and requesting recommendations – this is very important as it gets you known on these sites. It also gives people the perception that you are well regarded within that online community and that you know what you’re talking about
5. Endorse others, again this gives the impression to people visiting your page that you’re engaged and know what you’re talking about
6. Also, share interesting and relevant media. Sharing quality media from other sources will have the same effect. It will engage your target audience and show them that you’re involved within that online community, also strengthening your own profile online
7. Create individual and stylized content to help promote your own self-brand identity
(This is something that not everyone does, but if you’re serious about networking it’s a very important step and in terms of an online presence is one of the most significant factors that will help set you apart. This step involves content created by yourself that will help you expand your presence and influence online. There are many ways you can do this)
It can be done through a variety of multi-media formats, such as Photography, Podcasts, Videos, Video blogs, Written blogs, Online articles and much more…
USEFUL SITES YOU CAN USE TO AID YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
– Discord, this is one of the best sites you can use for building your online profile
– LinkedIn, this is a great online social tool, especially when used in conjunction with other social media sites. You can follow along with potential employers, gaining valuable insights from their posts and publishings, giving you useful information you can use to strike up an online conversation or providing numerous points of conversation in interview situations
– Facebook, Twitter, or video streaming sites such as YouTube. On them you can create your own unique online content and tag your friends and the people you follow into it. A great online strategy is to create content tailored specifically to posts or publishings from any prospective employers you are following. Mention them as sources in your work and tag them into your content
OTHER FACTORS
Shortlist the companies you want to work for first. If you know what field you want to work in – do a search online or in your local city and get a list of the businesses in your area, then search on social media for the hiring managers and directors of those companies. In this way, you can tailor your applications to those companies and try to network with those people. You can widen your search to regional or national companies if you need to
In order to create opportunities for yourself you will need to research the companies and find the right people to try and network with. These will normally be the hiring managers or directors. You can find out who these people are through Directgov (search the companies house), or other online resources – then once you find out who they are you can follow them on social media by looking out for any posts or publications they put online
By analysing online posts and publications you can devise a strategy to get noticed by them…
You can create content based on viewpoints from influential people, or even based on the principles a particular business operates by. Mention that person, or that business, as a source of inspiration for your own work and then cite them and tag them into that content. This is a great way to start off conversations or even build a mutually respectful relationship with any prospective employer
Look at the job requirements and specifications found on jobsites, use them to get a feel for what employers are looking for and what their expectations are. Taylor your online content to match their requirements
Consider the type of content you can create yourself; blogging, speeches, online literature etc…