According to Staff.com, 92% of companies use social media for their recruitment, with one in three employers rejecting candidates based on something they found in their social profiles.
Social media greatly enhances your ability to present yourself effectively, establish connections with people in your career and reach out to professionals and employers. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of this? Most people are not sure how, but the tips you need to land your dream job using your favorite sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are outlined below.
1. Make Your “Brand” the Same on All Social Platforms
Chances are you probably have more than one social media profile, so if you’re trying to look professional for employers, be sure that the “branding” of your accounts is the same throughout.
Use the same profile picture or avatar as well as a cover photo if the social media site calls for one, and try to score the same handle everywhere if you can swing it. Every single post should support your goals in some way.
2. Use Hashtags and Join Groups/Chats
Using hashtags on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter allows you to connect with like-minded peers who can help you in your field, people in your field who you can look up to for guidance or better yet, people who are looking for your skill set. Make use of Twitter, Google+ and Facebook to create and/or follow groups related to your college or areas of study/work. Doing so will help you create a network.
Think of it this way: Even if you are qualified for a job, you might not get it because the employer was introduced to someone else or knew someone else who was also available to take the position. It’s all about making strong connections and building a strong network.
3. Reach Out to Professionals and Employers
Follow and connect with people you admire (or even want to work for) on social media, as it makes it easier to connect offline.
Think this approach sounds intimidating? It definitely works! Take, for example, Kristie Dash, a then-college student who followed every magazine editor on Twitter before reaching out about internships at their respective publications. By sending then-Teen Vogue editor Eva Chen an email with a subject line that referred to one of her tweets, she landed an interview (and then an internship!) at Teen Vogue.
4. Use Tools to Manage Your Media Smoothly
There’s one complaint you hear all the time from people about their social media: “There so much of it that I can’t keep up with it all the time!”
The good news is, you don’t have to.
There are many apps you can use to help you get to know your audience (and employers), so that you can decide how to best appeal to them. Tools such as Buffer and Hootsuite can help you schedule and manage your social media posts for free and give you valuable insights, and if you want more help learning how to become a social media aficionado, there’s a great infographic here that breaks down all the potential tools you can use.
Remember, three out of four hiring managers and recruiters check candidates’ social profiles, making it more imperative than ever that your profiles are professional, consistent and connected in order to launch your dream career!
