Our country’s economic downturn may have made job prospects seem especially meager, but social media is quickly rising to the occasion to help make the employment application process easier. Whether it’s following your dream company on Twitter, forming quality connections via social networking platforms, or utilizing some of the web’s top hiring websites, you might just get the job you always wanted by putting in a little digital footwork. Here are a few social-media fueled tips to help maximize the effectiveness of your job search:
Check out GetHired.com and Indeed.com: GetHired.com and Indeed.com are two of the fastest growing job-seeking resources online. GetHired allows users to interact with employers in an effective way. You can create a profile, upload video or audio introductions, and even answer questions posed by potential employers. Indeed.com is like a supercharged Craigslist. The site scours the far reaches of the Internet and gathers thousands of job listings from newspapers, company pages, job sites, and more. You’ll also find reviews on the best places to work, an auto email service for the newest job postings, and even a mobile app so you can stay informed on the go. In tandem, these sites can seriously reinvigorate your job hunt and keep you ‘in-the-know’ about position openings from a wide variety of sources.
Utilize MyLife.com’s ‘Jobs’ Feature*: MyLife.com might be a great people-search site, but that also means it’s a great place to find a potential job. The site’s ‘Jobs’ feature allows users to make work connections and search for positions by industry, job title, company and more. With over 300 million profiles available, it’s a great resource to engage with companies you might be looking to work for. And with job results powered by CareerBuilder.com, you can be sure you’ll find some impressive postings—and you might just make some new friends in the process!
Maximize your engagement on resume sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com: The average social media user might simply upload their resume on a site like Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, but serious engagement with these sites will help you benefit from their services even more. Join Monster’s BeKnow program via Facebook. Utilize the site’s many available career tools—from career mapping to career benchmarking. CareerBuilder.com also offers specialized tools—from a free career test, to information on skills training and resume enhancement. Don’t write these sites’ free bonus features off as being superfluous—they might just help you nail the perfect resume, apply for a spot-on position, or point you toward an opportunity to learn more in your field.
Seek out your specialty. There are several sites that offer industry-specific job searches. Are you an artist? Check out Artjobs, Want to get into media? Head over to MediaBistro, where you can have the site e-mail you new postings in your field, as they open up. And always check in on Craigslist for new postings. Searching for jobs can be time-consuming, but signing up for auto-emails of new listings and bookmarking the sites can help you easily incorporate the task into your morning routine. Try to set a goal for sending out a manageable number of resumes each day and track your progress. The more applications you send out, the better your chances are of getting hired.
Stay active on your personal social networks: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are invaluable resources in helping you land a job. Whether it’s a tweet for an open position at your dream job, or a Facebook post announcing a new hire, staying on top of your social networking profiles—and the users you are following—will help you get a leg up on the competition. Be sure to update your profiles to reflect your greatest assets. And don’t forget to connect with old work friends and new potential employers using LinkedIn. Post interesting comments about industry-related thoughts and stay engaged with your digital communities. It might seem like a no-brainer, but maintaining your social profiles can be a full time job in its own right. And with the right exposure, it just might land you a coveted interview. Good luck!
*Disclosure: Social Web Daily is sponsored by MyLife.com