Social media has moved on from ambiguous status updates about how much you miss your ex or sharing hundreds of pictures of cats. Now it can prove beneficial when it comes to searching for your next job.
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest can benefit your next job search, alongside sites such as CCJM and Jobstoday, and work as an alternative method for reaching out to potential employers.
LinkedIn is the social media platform created for networking purposes, so many people use the site and only connect with people they have worked with before. However, LinkedIn also offers an excellent opportunity to connect with potential employers – simply search for people within the industry you are looking to work in or use the job search tool available that lists jobs in your area.
You can also use your LinkedIn profile as a CV itself (and many job application forms online now simply let you connect your LinkedIn for ease) so be sure to keep it as up to date as possible, include your hobbies and any links to examples of your work. You can also ask colleagues from previous jobs to write you a reference and endorse your skills, for all to see when they visit your profile.
With just 140 characters you can make contact with future potential employers on Twitter. If you don’t fancy mixing your personal life and jobseeker experience then set up a separate profile and be sure to send out tweets that are relevant and interesting.
Larger corporations usually have a Twitter account just for vacancies, where they post updates and job advertisements for all to see. However, be prepared to tweet smaller companies directly to ask for work. An upfront approach on social media can really help your work prospects.
You thought pinning to boards on Pinterest was just for brides-to-be and fashion bloggers didn’t you? You couldn’t be more wrong.
Pinterest serves as the perfect platform for an online CV, which looks better than a sad old Word doc or a complicated infographic that you spent a week putting together only to realise when you converted it to PDF there was a horrifying typo in the midst of some text. Use Pinterest as a means to showcase your best work and life experiences so employers can see a nice snapshot of you.
Facebook isn’t just for sharing terrible pictures of your friends on nights out, you can also use it to benefit your job search.
‘Like’ the pages of companies you want to potentially work for to keep up to date on with any changes or advancements they are announcing, many companies will also post links to their job vacancies on Facebook to give interested followers a head start.
When it comes to social media benefiting your job search, it can be considered a great alternative to printing off hundreds of CVs and sending them out to employers or spending hours filling out lengthy online application forms.
Just be careful what you post and share, employers will look at your profiles and people have found themselves in hot water or out of work because of their use of social media. Keep it professional with a touch of insight into your personal life as well – save the drunken pictures for Snapchat.
