Social Media for the IT Job Seeker

You have probably head that social media is the new must-use tool for job seekers. But if you are like many people, you are confused about how to turn your Facebook profile and Twitter feed into a job offer. We’ve put together this quick guide listing simple job search strategies you can use on three of the largest social networks.

LinkedIn

• Make sure your profile is as complete and current as possible, and keep it updated any time something relevant to your professional life happens.
• Connect with all your friends, family, and professional acquaintances. There is no reason to limit your number of connections.
• When trying to connect with someone you know, always include a personalized message rather than merely a generic request.
• Join LinkedIn groups to participate in the conversation surrounding your profession.
• Optimize your profile with keywords and headlines to make it easier for people to find you.
• Use the insights graph feature to help you tweak your profile and promote a deeper level of engagement.

Twitter

• Make sure that you are regularly tweeting and that your feed does not have long empty gaps.
• Establish yourself as a thought leader by making the focus of your feed comments and observations that pertain to the field of IT generally, and similar types of professionals specifically.
• Share articles, pictures, projects from other people and don’t only try to highlight your own work.
• Build your personal brand by injecting some personality into your tweets.
• Many companies now use special Twitter accounts to announce job openings. Make sure to follow these accounts.
• Follow other industry leaders, and professionals who have your dream job. This is a great way to gain new insights and to make yourself a part of the conversation.
• Engage with others, but make sure you don’t “over-interact.” You don’t want to establish yourself as a pest.

Facebook

• Take anything controversial or inappropriate off of your profile, and make everything except your profile picture, education, and employment information private.
• “Like” the companies that interest you and follow along with their updates. This can help you gain insider knowledge that aids your job search.
• If your job search is public knowledge, let others in your Facebook network know. You never know where a lead will come from.

Even if you don’t want to use social media to look for a job, you need to make sure that your online presence doesn’t keep you from getting a job. So at the very least, clean your profiles up to project a professional appearance. Access more resources to help you find the job you want by working with INSPYR Solutions.