4 Uncommon Ways to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

By James Hu

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Have you ever heard people say that social media is bad for your job search? That doesn’t have to be the case. When used strategically, social media can actually help you get closer to your dream job. You probably already know the basics, like to update your LinkedIn profile and to use it to connect with potential employers. However, you can maximize your job search by checking out these 4 uncommon ways to use social media in your job search.
 

Brand Yourself

Believe it or not, you have a personal brand. Your brand is everything that goes into your representation of yourself. The best way you can use social media in your job search is to refine your brand. Rather than hiding your social media accounts, allow them to be public, but keep pictures and names professional and consistent. If you have trouble balancing multiple social media accounts, check out sites like Hootsuite and Buffer to help you automate your social media posts. Remember to only post content that you would be comfortable with a hiring manager or recruiter seeing. Go a step further and create a professional website where you can link to your social media accounts.
 

Connect with Executives on Twitter

Now that you have a shiny new Twitter account with a professional handle (sorry to see you go, “dumbblonde23”), you can start using it to connect with potential employers. Yep, even Twitter can help you get your dream job! Reach out to CEOs and hiring managers with smart, thoughtful content and use relevant hashtags to make sure you get their attention. You can also join industry chats to get your name out there. You can even create lists of potential employers and companies you are interested in.
 

Learn More About a Hiring Manager on Facebook

This one might sounds a little odd, but hear us out. You go into an interview knowing nothing about a hiring manager, but they already know quite a bit about you from your application. That can be intimidating! Before going into an interview, you should check out the hiring manager’s LinkedIn. Once you’ve done this, see if the hiring manager has a public Facebook account. If they do, give it a quick look to see if you have any mutual friends or common interests. Having a couple of light conversation topics up your sleeve (maybe don’t ask how their dog “Fido” is doing) will help ease your nerves during a lull in conversation.
 

Find and Contact Alumni

If you’ve been at this job search for a while now, you’re likely a pro at using LinkedIn. You’ve joined groups in your field, connected with CEOs and hiring managers, and you’ve made your resume squeaky-clean. Great! LinkedIn should be your best friend during your job search. Go a step further by searching your university in the search bar. You’ll get a list of every fellow alumni of that school, which you can then narrow down by company or keyword. There are also many alumni websites and job boards through universities that you can check out separately. Make connections with people who work at companies you are interested in. Many companies offer employees bonuses for bringing in new employees, so they will probably be happy to get your resume into the hands of the hiring manager.

Social media no longer needs to be detrimental to your job search. Maximize your job search potential by using social media to work for you, not against you. With so many applicants for each position, it is always smart to think outside the box to come up with uncommon strategies for getting a company’s attention.

 

Learn more about Social Hire

The team at Social Hire never just do social media marketing.

Our group of specialists are an organisation that helps our clients boost their online marketing by offering social media management services on a monthly basis.

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