Social Media for Job Seekers - Dos & Don'ts

Use social media to make your job search more effective and efficient. We can see that social media profiles have become an important part of our everyday life, whatever technology or platform you choose you’re likely to have a few different accounts online. You can create your own brand by making your profiles online, especially when working in digital it is very important to realize what you add online!

Dos

• Show your knowledge in your field and expand your network as social media is the best source. Be interactive and social. Make yourself available and participate in discussions; ask and answer the questions; share info that interests you to the people in your networks.
• Set up a LinkedIn account, with a strong summary adding good keywords and phrases and for skills employers would look for in your industry.
• Many jobs aren't listed on job boards, so there are chances of missing your dream jobs, this is the reason more and more employers are fishing for applicants on professional networks.
• Joining a group and participating in several groups related to your career interests in a good practice which will help you connected. You find such groups on LinkedIn; choose a few relevant groups and make intelligent comments to start conversations - check spellings and grammar before you hit it.
• Follow companies in your industry, and "like" them; that’s the best way you can keep track of what's going on in companies you may be interested in, and show your interest.
• Search for relevant keywords to what you're looking for, and connect with people who come up, with whom you have common professional or personal interests.
• Start a Twitter account; if you don't already have one – with a headline relevant to who you are professionally.
• Search for the keywords and relevant companies (and use Hashtag #), and follow them.
• Tweet and re-tweet links to articles relevant to your followers' interests.
• Comment on tweets and ask followers relevant questions.

Don’ts

• Don't forget that everything you put online stays out there somewhere, and anyone - prospective employers, former bosses, etc. - can see it. So any questionable photos, potentially offensive comments, criticisms against current or former employers, etc. may come back to haunt you.
• Don't use a physical attribute-flaunting photo better suited to a dating site than a professional networking site, on any website you intend to use to network and find possible job leads. Yes, that includes Facebook, which more and more employers are using to find more in-depth info on job applicants. You don't have to wear a 3-piece suit in your photos, but at least business-casual dress.
• Don't refer to yourself in your LinkedIn profile or Twitter headline as "unemployed" or "job seeker." Identify yourself instead as who you are professionally, in terms of the type of job you're looking for ("financial professional knowledgeable about investments"). It doesn't matter if you're not currently employed in that field.
• Don't throw every noun you can think of to describe yourself in your Twitter profile. Focus on the relevant ones you'd want an employer to see. Rather than, "Public relations professional, social media expert, reality show addict, chocoholic, wife, mother, sister" - stop after "social media expert."
• Don't forget to check out Google Plus, Pinterest, and other social networking sites too - Pinterest especially if your field is visual, like architecture or web design.
• Don't just broadcast stuff. Social media has "social" in its name for a reason, so interact with people in your network.
• Don't start an account and never update it. Keeping up with your social media accounts is time-consuming, but you generally get what you put into it. You don't have to spend time on every site every day; a few times a week is fine. It looks better to prospective employers to stay active on two or three sites than to have skimpy profiles on many and rarely visit them.

As long as you’re conscious about what you put online, you’re on the right track! If you have any questions, don’t be shy! Head over to our LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Google+. We practice what we moralize!, and drop us a line!