Five Social Media Tips

During your job search, it is fairly common knowledge that social media plays a role. While it is not only just a great way to network, many companies are using it more and more to look at candidates a little more closely. Nexxt writer Melissa Kennedy recently asked “Is social media necessary?” and concluded that it is not always necessary. However, it depends not only on your career but also on the hiring agent’s use of social media in the process.

As I have recently written, some companies are taking a hint from social media techniques, and actually using it as a key component in the job hiring process, like Pizza Hut’s recent 140-second interview, or the way the interview process itself is evolving due to newer technology. And then there is the case where the resume’ was replaced by a simple tweet, which is rare, but who knows, it may become a trend. In any case, there are some points you need to consider when it comes to properly using social media. Debra Donston-Miller of Information Week recently covered five social media blunders that need the attention of anyone currently in job-search mode.

Are you there? As mentioned above, not every company uses social media in the hiring process, but for those in the tech field, it is usually more likely that they will. Being familiar with the various social media networks, their functions, and getting the most out of them may be skills a company is looking for in a new hire. It requires you to be not only familiar with, but also  active within the social media world. Of course that requires more than you just opening an account and building a profile. That is only the tip of the visibility factor.

Too little? Social media is all about sharing. For those companies who look at the social media world, you creating a profile and then not using it is almost as bad as not having one at all. During your job search, focus on sharing often, and seek to make the sharing relevant. Pass along related career articles and news of interest to your industry. Let the employers see that you know and share good content, and not just a mass amount of cute sayings and images. Post regularly, and do not let more than a day or two go by where you are inactive. More activity also increases ratings and analytics like your Klout score, which some businesses use, especially if you are in any kind of social media/marketing related position.

Too much? Just as bad as under sharing though, is oversharing. Find the happy medium between being absent, and being obnoxious and posting every move you make. Also, begin to take full advantage of focused sharing on Facebook, where you use interest lists to share only to specific groups that you have assigned people to instead of making everything public. This will help people outside those group – like career professionals – not be privy to all of the interpersonal stuff shared between close friends.

The Real You? Be consistent across all social media networks. Everyone expects a LinkedIn profile to be kept clean and professional, but it becomes an obvious false-impression if your other sites present a totally opposite feel. For all of your public posts, keep it professional and purposeful, especially while actively job searching.

Say What? And as you increase your social activity presence and constancy, be sure to also keep a close eye on your communication skills. Abbreviations are common, but do not always present speech patterns in an efficient manner. Bad grammar and misspelling look bad too. All of your social media writings are open for public scrutiny, so keep an eye on it.

While these things are good everyday tips, they are even more essential while you are on a job search and need to put your best foot forward in all areas of public life. Social media has opened all kinds of doors into the public lives of its participants. Be sure you pay attention to what those open doors are exposing about you.

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