Using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for getting a job

You should not be shocked reading the title of this article. You never thought that social networking can actually be used for other purposes too apart from using it for killing your time. Yes, that is actually what we do. To kill our time we get hooked to Social Networking. But, studies have proved that Social Networking, be it Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn has actually helped millions to get a new job.

What do the surveys say?

Almost everyone who is connected on internet is present on at least one social networking website. According to the Kelly Global Workforce Index 2011, which covered 97,000 people across 30 countries and 2,000 people in India, about 35% of the respondents in India moved over to social networking sites to seek job openings or promotions. Out of these respondents in India, about 75% spend an hour or less per day on these sites, while 14% spend an hour or more each day and 11% spend no time at all.

Many job seekers are still using traditional job search methods that are yielding poor results. The New York Post reported that one woman applied for more than one thousand jobs over 99 weeks, getting only two interviews. In US, nearly one in three job seekers have been out of work for more than a year and the average job seeker gives up after five months.

Companies and consultancies realised that such huge number of candidates can be tapped on these social networking platforms and thus they began to rely on them to find potential employees.

Kris Lakshmikanth, CEO, The Head Hunters (India) says “About five years ago, the use of social media for recruiting employees was nil. Today, we use it extensively. In fact, 50% of our turnover is through social sites because we primarily use them for positions where the annual cost to company is above `20 lakh.”

Which social networking platform is the best?

Social Networking is making it easier to find the right jobs, and for you to connect to the right people that can help you get those jobs. LinkedIn used to be the hub of the professionals for making a resume kind of profile and getting hired. But now a day, Facebook has gained popularity as a platform to find a new or a better job. An Infographic created by MBA Online states “The days of printing out a stack of résumés and handing them out at job fairs are definitely over.” They further state “Social media is the new 24/7 job fair, providing amazing ways to constantly stay on the radar of prospective employers, but many people still don’t know how to utilize it.”

In October the social recruiting platform Jobvite launched the “Work with Us” application on Facebook, which creates a jobs tab on any Facebook business fan page. According to Jobvite statistics 77% of job-seekers use Facebook and according to Jobvite index, Companies using Jobvite see 43% of employee social referral hires from Facebook.

The Infographic from MBA Online also states that 1, 84, 00,000 Americans say that Facebook go them their current job where as 80, 00,000 got from Twitter and 1, 02, 00,000 got it from LinkedIn.

How to use social media to increase chances of getting hired?

Elance reports 94% of Millennial turn to online job sites as their primary method for finding employment, and 40% indicate they are using social media to land jobs.

You can also take benefit from the Social Networking in getting a better job. Follow the tips suggested below:

1. Join the best Social Networking sites:

Make a profile on the major social networking sites i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google plus (G+) and LinkedIn. Now each of them has their own importance but it’s best if you connect all the profiles together. For instance, what you Tweet can appear on Facebook and LinkedIn, while on your Twitter site, you can have a link to a video resume on YouTube. This is how you are opening of more chances to get noticed by different companies who are active on different sites.

You can also check BranchOut. It utilizes your facebook social graph and you can access BranchOut from within your facebook profile. It has got more than 3million job listings and around 20,000 internships listings.

2. Build a strong network:

All the major companies have now a Facebook fan page. In times of recession it was not feasible for companies to give ads on different media channels. So the alternate way they adopted is posting it on their websites and linking it to their fan page.  You should follow the fan pages and be active on them. This will help you to expand your network as well as you won’t miss a job opening news if you are regular on that page. Join specific groups formed by different people with specific skill or in a particular industry. Don’t think that once you like a page, you will be flooded with job offers instantly. It will take time to build a network. If you are looking for a job, frequently post messages regarding your search as this will keep it fresh in the minds of people within your network. In Twitter too, keep following good companies as they keep posting their job vacancies there.

3. Make a professional profile:

You should post a detailed professional profile as this is the first thing that a potential employer will read about you. Highlight your professional capabilities and skills, but be brief about personal information. It should be almost like your resume. The headline or ‘about me’ information should be compact and interesting. For example, don’t just say ‘sales executive’. Write points to enhance this, such as ‘innovator’, ‘solution finder’ or ‘result-oriented’. Use keywords which will help your profile to pop up when someone is searching the site looking for a candidate. Contact information should be updated so that employers can easily get in touch with you.

4. Make a strong online influence:

Be active on the social networking sites. Give solutions to queries posted by people and regularly post news about what’s happening in your industry.

Most networks are linked to each other, which helps to further expand your stack of contacts.  Online influence depends on the number of connections you have, how influential those connections are, number of people who like, share or comment on your posts. Klout is a site that measures your online influence and gives you a rating. It is becoming very popular among the employers as they understand that those with larger networks are more productive and can generate new business.

Also Check:

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What happens in an Internet Minute Infogrphic

Techniques of applying for a job

Infographic:

Created By : MBA ONLINE [Article View] : 3410