SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING

MAKE USE OF NEW AGE SOCIAL WEAPONS

Networking is one of the most important components of job searching. Use these top social and professional networking sites to enhance your career and boost your job search, and learn how to use social networking sites to job search. Social networks had become part of the criteria for hiring professional using these networks to weed out applicants. It’s time for you to be open-minded and think differently about how you’re going to get your next job.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site and the preferred tool in any recruiter’s arsenal for finding potential hires. Just like any other search engine recruiters are using, keywords are extremely important. You want to fill out your entire profile, just like you would a resume. You’ll also want to get at least one recommendation from a supervisor or friend, which will give you a “1″ next to a “thumbs up” graphic when people search for you.

Then, you should import all your contacts from Outlook, Gmail, etc, so that you can start to build your network or grow your existing network. The more people you’re connected to the better because you’re only able to reach other people in your network (1st, 2nd & 3rd degrees) by having these connections. You may want to pay for a premium account, so you can contact other recruiters that may help you. Finally, you should conduct searches on there for jobs that you may be interested in and reach out to those individuals that may supply you with an interview or referral.

Twitter become the ultimate utility to connect directly with recruiters and employees at companies you want to work for. By conducting Twitter searches, following recruiters on your account and using the “@” sign to communicate with them on occasion, you will start to learn a lot about them and their companies.

Before you follow anyone on Twitter, you HAVE TO have a completed profile. This means, you should have a short bio, the location where you’re from, a link to a site that recruiters can go to for more information and an avatar of yourself. This way, you stand a better chance of securing an opportunity or a relationship with people who care enough to read your profile.

Facebook Social Ads allow businesses and individuals to advertise using Facebook’s news feed or left rail. This program works similar to Google’s but you can use a picture and it’s more “word-of-mouth friendly” because ads travel through the news feed of friends. Here’s how to create your ad:

Title. What is the ad for? The title is the most important piece of your ad because it has the most “text” emphasis. “I want to work for <insert company name>” or “Resume for <insert position type>.” Try and be as specific as you can.
Picture. Just like Facebook picture, don’t use a picture that you wouldn’t want shown to your future employer, go for a professional personal picture.
Description. Don’t write your resume, but instead give the viewer a quick description of who you are, what you do and what job you want in 25 words.

Once you create your ad, either link it to your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile or blog/website. These ads are all about targeting a specific group that would care about your resume or hiring you for that matter. When you select your target audience, keep your major in mind, as well as the company and location.