Managing your online profiles should be a top priority when applying for new jobs. With employers becoming more and more social media savvy, it’s important that you ensure you’re getting the right information across and that you separate personal and professional accounts.
Build your online presence
Social media platforms such as LinkedIn make it easier than ever to get your profile in front of recruiters. Make sure when setting up profiles such as Twitter and LinkedIn that you’re using the same image and username whilst also including a little bio, your location and (if currently unemployed) the role you’re looking for. This makes it much easier for employers searching for you. You can also link these profiles to other professional channels you’re using, such as YouTube or a blog, as they’re great ways to showcase your work.
Manage your online reputation
If you like using social media profiles for personal and social reasons then it might be worth setting these to ‘private’ and having separate public profiles for professional purposes. Whilst Instagram and Facebook can be kept private; your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts are perfect for advertising yourself to employers.
Use Twitter for interacting with companies
Keep your account public and follow relevant accounts and companies which link in with the role you’re looking for. Try interacting with these businesses by re-tweeting their posts and mentioning them in things you think are interesting/relevant. You should also post using appropriate hashtags to make sure your thoughts are being seen by the right people and not just those than follow you! You can also find new opportunities when searching #jobsearch or #vacancies too.
Increase your connections on LinkedIn
You should focus on building connections with those that work in the industry you’d like to get into, so that you can interact with them and see if they’re advertising roles. If you’re struggling to get noticed, make sure you’re sharing content and commenting on work and posts shared directly by the companies/people you’re trying to get noticed by. Ask connections such as colleagues and friends to give you recommendations and endorsements to help improve your profile and make it more appealing to employers.
Have you secured a job through social media? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!