Modern-day job hunting has changed completely, long gone are the days when everyone was pouring over the job section in the local newspaper. There are many new ways that you can both research a company and contact potential employers.
You may already be on social networking sites but may never have used them for your job search. In modern times a job hunt should always start by creating online profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These sites are a great place to start looking for a career. There are, however, several things that you need to do to make your profiles employer-friendly. Make your profile look as professional as possible, with no drunken photos or funny pictures.
If you are already on these networking sites then you should take the time to customize your profile so that prospective employers get a good impression of you. Whether you are looking for recruitment or marketing career social media will be an asset to your job search.
Use Your Facebook profile to your advantage
There are several things to keep in mind when making your Facebook friendly, firstly edit your photos and de-tag any that cast you in a negative light. Your wall may have posts from as far back as the dawn of Facebook and these may not be the types of things that you want a potential employer to see. Make sure that your statuses reflect your goals and make sure that they are appropriate. Constant status updates on how bored you are and how many interviews you have had will not go down well. Facebook allows you to make your wall and pictures private; this is a good way to make sure that nothing slips through the net.
Facebook is primarily used by companies to research their interviewees, so keep this in mind. Facebook is also a good way for you to research companies and the people who work for them. You may even be able to look up the person who is interviewing you. This will give you a good indication of the things that they have been involved with in the past and might help ease the stress of the interview.
See more at 5 Ways to Use Facebook for Your Job Search.
LinkedIn is your no. 1 professional tool
LinkedIn is another brilliant resource for job hunters, the online networking site allows you to upload your CV and connect with people in your chosen field. Your profile on this site should be employer-friendly too and you should make sure that your profile reflects the type of job that you want. Most companies will have a presence on this site; they may also advertise vacancies here too.
You can find out so much about a company from their profile, you can also find out about people who have recently been employed with the company.
More at How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Searching.
Use Twitter to make that first contact
Many companies will also post jobs on Twitter and by following the companies you want to work for you will be able to keep up with their news. Try to find companies who work in your chosen sector and even the same areas as you.
Companies do not mind being contacted for job opportunities on Twitter, so why not reach out? They will be able to give you valuable advice on the things that you should be doing to find a job.
Social media is a great way to make that first point of contact. Lots of career sites will have their own Twitter streams and will have regular updates on opportunities in that field, these are worth following. By using these methods you are more likely to get your name out there and in the end, get a job. Social networking can help you find out a lot about a company and the people it has been employing. So get out there and tweet.
Check out the 10 Hot Tips to Use Twitter for Your Job Search.
