How to land a job using social media

Never before have there been so many routes to getting a job. The days of going through the job adverts in the morning paper are long gone. Instead we entered the digital space many years ago, but even the “old” way of looking for jobs online at recruitment sites is becoming old fashioned.

It’s all about social media these days. And as my old uni teachers would tell me “if you’re not on it, you don’t exist”. Nowadays, the key to getting the foot in the door or climbing the ladder is being visible on social media, networking and making connections.

Companies have strong marketing strategies to appear attractive to the market and consumers, the same rules now apply to job hunters.

According to The Muse, 92% of companies use social media to recruit new staff, but only 29% of jobseekers use social media to find a job. And even if you’re not using social media to job hunt, three out of four managers will track down your social media accounts.

LinkedIn is the obvious social media go-to for professionals looking to connect, but it’s important not to forget how using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms to gain the upper hand while job hunting.

The Muse has put together a solid list on what to do on social media go get a job.

• Clean up your accounts – The number one rule, which may seem obvious to some, is to make sure all the information posted on your social media accounts are appropriate for your potential future boss to read. Also make sure to go through your privacy settings to avoid sharing anything inappropriate.
• Don’t have an account on everything – It’s  better to have a few flawless accounts rather than several accounts that you can’t be bothered updating.
• Use your real name – Though it may be tempting to use a funky nickname, using your real name enables others to find you.
• Keep your image professional and consistent – It should be friendly and decent. Perhaps don’t use the one from last weekend’s shenanigans where you decided to get Maccas at 3am.
• Get your personal branding down – use a consistent branding across your social platforms so that your connections know who you are and what you’re about.
• Use your social media accounts a “jumping off points” – Make sure to link to any projects you are working on at the moment, such as a website or blog.
• Bring all your accounts together in one place – create a place where all your accounts are connected, such as your own website for example. This will help potential future employers to find all your profiles in one go.
• Put your social media accounts on your job search materials – Make sure to advertise your accounts on your resume, cover letters or email signature. If you’ve done great work, make sure people find out about it.
• Don’t use it for professional communications – Don’t contact future employers on social media.
• Use scheduling tools to stay on top of things – There are several tools out there to help you stay on top of your social media accounts and allow you to schedule and share things etc. without you having to worry about being active every other second.

Check out the full list on The Muse to become social media savvy and get your career going.

Mimmie grew up in Sweden and first came to Australia as a backpacker after high school. After travelling around the country for two years she returned to Europe and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in London. But the longing for Australia and the sun became too strong. After having worked for some time in the media industry, Mimmie decided to make a change and swap the news for conferences. She now gets to do what she loves the most, meeting new people and keep learning about cultures and issues while producing conferences on current topics.