How Social Media Can Power Your Search

Lets revisit what to remember about social media when on the job search for today’s #takemebacktuesday.

If you are looking for a great job, here are three important things to keep in mind:
1. Tell your story
2. Keep your story up-to-date
3. Broadcast your story

Social Media works for all three.  The people you really want to reach – the hiring managers or the recruiters – are already fully engaged on Social Media.

1. Social media tells your story
Your compelling candidacy is already a great story. Both personal branding and recruiting can learn from brand journalism strategies aimed at communicating a brand’s story to an audience. Brand journalism is engaging, but it is also substantive. Consider the content of your social media efforts. Does it accurately reflect you? Is it too general or are you the only individual that could say what you’re saying? Just as a company creates content that reflects its values and culture, it is also good for the jobseeker to consider his/herself a brand. Social media marries story and brand. Check out sites that let you create personal pages like Contently and About Me. If you can project a consistent image that is entertaining, current and instructive, you can tell a story that makes others want to keep reading.

2. Social media keeps your story up-to-date
We trust social media to provide us with the most current status of candidates. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, Pinterest or other social platforms, how are you making your audience aware of your latest news? Even if you haven’t made changes, how are you actively participating in an ongoing conversation within your industry? It’s obvious when a website or profile hasn’t been modified for a long time. It is crucial that your links in the contact section of LinkedIn are up to date so that people can see your work and get in touch with you. Relevance and timely brand journalism will help a candidate stand out or emphasize the positives of a job opportunity. Many of our clients go right to social media to gauge a candidate’s presence.

3. Social media broadcasts your story
Smart recruiting is all about creating and sharing great content. Social media allows you to tell your story over and over again, as you optimize resumes, cover letters, articles, and newsletters for the digital space. And, of course, these platforms afford you the opportunity to expand your circle of influence and to attract people you may never have thought to reach out to directly.

Social media helps recruit talent
If you are on the other side of the table looking to fill a role, it is just as important to maintain a social media presence that is up-to-date, far-reaching and effective. All candidates research potential employers online and social media affords the hiring manager an opportunity to grab the attention of proactive candidates. Recruiters and hiring managers can use social media to spread the word about the position and to paint a compelling picture of the organization.

Personal branding, recruiting and social media work together to ensure your story is heard. And not only that, this collaboration improves the possibility that your story reaches the single company or candidate who needs to hear it most.

Chaloner

Chaloner, founded in 1979 as Chaloner Associates, is a national executive search firm that focuses on recruiting mid- to senior-level communications, public relations, marketing and investor relations professionals.