Years ago, newspaper ads offered the most viable method of finding a job. Once a job seeker found a job he thought he was qualified for, he would mail out his resume accompanied by a cover letter. He would then wait for a phone call from a representative of the company to set up an interview. At this point, other than that one page resume, the recruiter knew very little about the applicant. When the day of the interview arrived, the interviewer knew very little about the interviewee’s appearance, values, and opinions and would enter the interview armed with limited knowledge. This gave the interviewee the chance to make an impression, good or bad, in person (Salpeter, 2011).
Networking for job seekers
Today, there are many online platforms for job seekers to create their personal brand. These include, most commonly, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. There are also industry specific networks that enable users to focus on a particular niche. All of these networks can be used for job seeking purposes. It is the aggregate of these online platforms and profiles that will form a user’s personal brand. In today’s modern, technological society, a personal brand is a necessary component of a job search. Unlike fifteen or twenty years ago, job recruiters and interviewers can research an applicant and draw conclusions about him simply by reading through a Facebook timeline or a Twitter feed prior to an interview. When used properly, this can be advantageous for an applicant (Morton, 2012).
The most popular social networking sites for the job search and recruiting include LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. LinkedIn is a site dedicated to professional connecting. It is free and easy to use, allowing a person to provide key information to contacts and potential employers. The user’s network expands every time a person in his network adds another contact leaving infinite room for networking (Vermeiren, 2009).
Twitter is an online micro blogging platform that allows users to share ideas, insights, and information to a broad audience. People can use their tweets to find job hunting support, make immediate contacts or connections, and even secure a job (Deckers & Lacy, 2011).
Facebook is the largest social network with over 550 million users. While users have a tendency to connect with people they actually know already, this opens the doors for millions of contacts and potential opportunities through this network of personal friends who are more likely to help (Salpeter, 2011).
Recommendations for job seekers
Clearly the world is continuing to experience rapid advancements in technology. And since more companies appear to be using social networks for external recruitment processes, it would be useful for individuals to continue to update their social networks to present themselves in a professional manner. Social networks may soon become the sole way of applying for and securing jobs and it is important for individual jobseekers to be prepared for this advance. It would be helpful for individuals, specifically students, to use social networks not just to keep up with peers, but also to promote a professional brand that they can be proud of.
There are many ways that individuals can use social networks to create a personal brand. For example, they can use their profiles on social networks to share ideas with followers, friends, and connections. By doing this, the individual not only shares information about himself with his connections, but he also leaves an impression in their minds. It is also important for the jobseeker to remember that any connection on any social network can potentially lead to a job. For this reason, it is important that individuals only post valuable information and do not post distasteful comments (Benady, 2012).
Finally, it is important for users to customize their profiles and keep all profiles consistent. Users should not have conflicting information about themselves on different sites, and information on their profiles should correspond with the information on their resume. This way, their brand will be consistent across all channels.
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