Social Networking – What is It and How Can It Help Me Find a Job?
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As you begin to Network God’s Way, you will find that building your online network is a smart way to complement your job marketing strategies. Joining business-oriented social networking sites, creating profiles that emphasize your experience, developing a useful network of online contacts and implementing a regular follow-up strategy can help pave the way to a dream job, a new career or creating a personal “brand” that sets you apart from the competition. It adds a whole new dynamic to the job search process.
In order to fully embrace this new way of networking, you need to understand what it can do for you, your career, and your business. Like traditional networking, the most effective social networking groups build relationships, engage others and develop solid word-of-mouth marketing.
Anyone actively engaged in today’s job market will soon learn that social networking has also become a preferred recruitment tool for recruiters and corporate HR departments. Most recruiters understand the value that online networking can offer and actively participate in at least one site such as LinkedIn or Ryze. In particular, social networking has become the optimal tool for recruiting elusive, “passive” candidates – those who are currently employed, but may be open to the prospect of a new job.
Create an interesting online profile
Items to include:
- Current resume,
- A “network” to belong to (i.e. university alumni, former employer alumni, military, etc.),
- Personal website if it is relevant to your profession,
- Links to other relevant websites (i.e. professional associations, charities, associations, community organizations, etc.),
- Links to articles, presentations, seminars you’ve written or facilitated,
- Recommendations from supervisors and/or colleagues,
- Links to your profile on other business networking sites,
- A current photograph. Remember, it is important to keep this information updated on a regular basis. As you gain new skills, certifications and awards be sure to include this in your profile.
It is also important to complete your profile in its entirety. If prospective employers see an incomplete profile, they may not even take the time to “look” at you.
As a professional, it is important to portray an image that is respectable. With so much information accessible on the Internet, prospective employers often conduct online searches to dig up “digital dirt” about you. Keep this in mind when creating your profile on any social network – whether it is for professional networking or simply for social purposes.
Developing your online network
Developing your online network may actually come easier than developing contacts in person. When considering who you want to include in your network think about the following:
- Why do you want to participate in social networking? Articulate your goals in order to develop a strategic social network.
- What sites are you using to develop your contacts? Each site is a little different and the techniques you use to develop your network vary on each.
- Who are your ideal contacts?
Start by focusing on people you already know - classmates, current and former colleagues, acquaintances from professional associations, vendors, etc. Then strategize about the demographics of those whom you want to make connections. For instance, find the profile of a company you have targeted and make a contact with the hiring manager or HR Director. You can also find recruiters for specific industries on sites such as LinkedIn. To reach influential people, you may need to request an introduction through a mutual connection or a second-tier connection.
How to make it work for you
By creating a strong profile on the right social networking sights and ensuring that your contact information is current and accessible, you’ll be on the right path to finding the recruiters and hiring managers who can make a big difference in your next career move.
Periodically you may find it necessary to overhaul your profile. Look at similar profiles and see what you notice that makes a particular profile really stand out. Use that as a model for your own profile.
Use common sense
While social networking can open up a whole new world of contacts, the truth is sometimes you may encounter people who you don’t want to be associated with. Your online profile will be available 24/7 and the unfortunate reality is that there are some undesirable people out there. Usually it is fairly obvious who the online scammers and predators are – follow your instincts and treat your new online contacts just as you would any other strangers you meet. Use restraint and caution and stop communication if things seem to be moving in the wrong direction.
If you receive inappropriate communications through a site, report it. Most sites will investigate complaints and take action if necessary.
Top Social Networking sites for job seekers that are free of charge
Linked In: (www.linkedin.com)
Almost exclusively professionals looking to achieve professional goals, find new jobs, recruit employees, generate new business, looking for potential business partners. More than 30 million profiles, great place to network with hiring managers and recruiters. Nearly 100,000 recruiters have profiles on LinkedIn.
Ryze: (www.ryze.com)
Another business-oriented social site. Ryze has more than 500,000 members and offers a number of special interest networks.
Yahoo! Kickstart: (http://kickstart.yahoo.com) Career networking site for college students and recent graduates.
Plaxo: (www.plaxo.com) : A network with over 20 million members.
Spoke: (www.spoke.com) An open network of 40 million professionals and 2.3 million companies which can be a good source of finding the contacts you want.
