How to Find a Job Through Social Media

Is it possible to find a job through social media, Linked In, Facebook and Twitter?

There is a jargon in management world these days, “bring in a known good person rather than an unknown better person”. This refers to hiring from within a known circle of people, or with recommendation from a known circle of people.

The largest professional network, Linked In, was founded on this principles and today its thriving along with Facebook and Twitter.

In last one year I have seen quiet a few people getting jobs through social media referrals.

I receive requests to refer some one or other within my connections for jobs. Recruiters and HR managers are now actively mining talents through Linked In.

Example, one of my close friends was found out through his Linked In profile. The recruiting manager was his 4th level connection. You may not be as lucky as this guy, as he had some specialized training and diploma which was sought after by his employers.

It also added spice that my friend and his the-then interviewer had similar tastes of reading.

If you imagine typical job of a recruiter, he has to post for the positions, collect resumes, sort through them and short list for further interviewing. All these can be avoided through Linked In route.

Not only Linked in, many other jobs can be had through twitter or Facebook as well.

There are reports of people landing jobs at confectioneries soon after posting baking hall-of-fame on Facebook.

Let’s take Dave, he is a serial entrepreneur, someone who loves to put up businesses in the hopes of selling them in the future. I’ll correct that: selling them for MILLIONS of dollars within the next few years.

For him to achieve that kind of success, he needs best people on-board. They don’t have to be graduates of this and that—though degrees does help in many ways—but he needs them to be deeply passionate and committed to the cause and advocacy of his company.

He is using a variety of methods, both online and offline. For the former, he actually taps on social media websites. He looks for people within his circle or connection with require qualification first. Then he looks for their profile content.

With just a few hours online can get him a few short listed candidates without the tiresome recruitment-through-advertisement process.

Companies were interested — and still are — in passion, teamwork and cultural fit. In today’s world, not only do you need strong hard and soft skills, but you need to develop online influence. When two candidates look the same on paper and are both good communicators, the differentiator will be their online influence. – Mashable

What you can do to improve your chance of getting a job through social media? Here are a few tips.

Let’s begin

Make sure you create an outstanding profile, include your image, details about your current work with position. Make sure your connection is not extremely short. Be outgoing and connect with a lot of people. Throw in some recommendation if you could.

Consider your own page/profile as your digital or electronic billboard. You don’t have to show everything, as you’d like to enjoy some privacy in your profiles.

But display the things you want your future boss to know, such as your current and previous employment, the school you’ve been to, and a well-created bio about yourself. It doesn’t have to be lengthy but just enough to capture enough attention.

If you are on twitter, search with appropriate hash tags. Suppose you are looking for jobs in NYC as accountant. Search for #NYCjobs, #Jobs, #NYCAcountants, #accountantjobs, etc. The recruiters are equally desperate to hire, no harm in sending replies to their tweets.

Make sure your email link works and it’s the one you check most frequently.

Know where to publish yourself

Everybody is doing Twitter , LinkedIn, Facebook or even MySpace. Do you have to be in all of them too? The answer is actually no, to me.

Rather, know where your potential employers are. Beginners would usually hang around LinkedIn, which, for me, is the best site to be if you’re looking for employment.

If I tell you to create a good profile in other social media sites, make sure you can have something here in LinkedIn. LinkedIn job search is a powerful tool and its gaining market share from traditional job sites constantly.

Be introduced

We have a couple of new employees who were simply introduced through social media websites. Those who referred them are the people we trust, so we were confident their friends and colleagues whom they’re trying to introduce are worth the belief and trust.

If you know someone who works in a company you’d like to get into, you can use social media to connect to him/her and communicate about your wish.

Please don’t pretend

No thanks to the Internet, it’s so easy to come up with a profile or even a persona that’s completely exaggerated or even false!

Don’t you do it—ever.

The consequences can be very grave. False resumes get people fired, wrong social network impressions also can get people fired.

These days, the openness of social network has made it easier to track your online actions. When you are searching for job, better keep a low profile on Facebook.

Let others know you are looking

Unless you state you are looking, probably no one from your connections or friend would know that you are seeking a new job.

There should be no harm and no taboo is asking for help. You’ll never know when and how unexpected help would come. As I told earlier, don’t burn the bridges, have rapport with your previous employer managers stay connected with them through social media.

Your friends and family can help you out with clues on new hiring going on somewhere.

Bring your good habits out

If you are an avid reader, list down some of the productivity, leadership, skill building books you read in your profile. If you are part of a chapter, don’t forget to mention that on your Linked In profile

Ensure that the things you are proud about yourself, appear up on your profile. If you blog about topics relevant to your job, make it prominently appear in your profile.

Join some professional groups, employers like your willingness to be in touch with your profession during off hours. Don’t forget to join your previous employer’s alumni group, this shows your respect and love for the past employers. A sign that says you are not dis loyal.

At the same time I would discourage you from sharing your personal, day-to-day life blog. You don’t want to let your future manager know about how unhappy you were last week because it was raining.

Announce your social media presence

Even if you land up in an interview through conventional route, there is no harm in including your Linked in or twitter profiles on your résumé. In-fact that may prompt your interviewer to check out your profiles.

If he/she finds good things there, your stage may get set well before you appear in front of them on the other side of the table.

If you are a writer and have a blog or a website of your own, don’t forget to include social media buttons. This sends a message to potential recruiters that you are savvy to the new age networking.

Some interesting stories about getting job through social media is here, do check them out.

Job seekers, Leverage social media to supplement your resume and skills. Show the world you are with the technology, not behind.