Like, Tweet, Share, Follow: Social Media & the Job Search

WHAT WILL BE COVERED: Why Social Media? 4 Step Process: 1) Defining Your Brand 2) Establishing Online Presences 3) Publishing Yourself Get Out There! 4) Managing Your Online Reputation

POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA We dont have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well do we do it? -- Eric Qualman, Socialnomics Play video below:

WHY USE SOCIAL MEDIA? 92% of companies say they use LinkedIn, Facebook and/or Twitter to hire. Of those, 89% of them use LinkedIn and 26% use Facebook 50% of recruiters say they can determine if someone is a good fit for their company based on their social media presence 1:6 Americans say social media helped them find work = 10s of millions The number of recruiters successfully using social media to hire increased from 58% to 73% the last three years Social media makes networking EASIER due to its interactive nature Social media allows you to demonstrate your personality, passions, and uniqueness Having a positive social media presence makes it easier for employers to find you!

STEP 1: DEFINING YOUR BRAND

DEFINING YOUR BRAND Your personal brand is what they believe about you based on everything theyve ever seen or heard whether good or bad, true or untrue. Barbara Findlay Schenck A brand is a promise you make to employers about the value you can bring to them Before you use social networking technologies, you must first consider your personal brand

PERSONAL BRANDING Personal branding is the art of communicating what makes you unique What is your brand? (Yes, you already have one!) Google yourself! (name, hometown) Ask your friends what word they would describe you with. thats your brand too! What and who are you following? You dont need to create your brand, you need to manage your brand so that people see you they way YOU want them to see you! Make sure your brand is represented accurately and consistently Manage your reputation by taking charge of search results Remember your brand is not just about you half of it is about them Need to understand the needs of the target organization

WHATS THEIR BRAND? What is Oprahs brand?

FINDING INFORMATION Steve Jobs?

Mileys?

PERSONAL BRANDING Self knowledge is key helps you stand out and be unique Identify values Core values drive our behavior, help us make better choices, feel confident with who we are, and motivate us in our career Knowing your true values, purpose, and mission make your job search easier! Also consider your passions, interests, goals, objectives, accomplishments, knowledge, skills, and abilities Building your brand and profiles requires use of industry specific nouns and keywords Let your personality shine!

BRANDING STATEMENTS What is at the core of who you are? You are in your element when People recognize your expertise in Other people comment on your ability to What qualities set you apart? What is the knowledge, experience, or skills you hold that may interest your target? Example: Sitting at the intersection of technology and business, I use my passion for communication to help IT professionals in Fortune 100 companies express themselves in ways that are understood by business people.

STEP 2: POLISH YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

ESTABLISHING ONLINE PRESENCES Translate what you know about yourself into concrete, powerful, online value statements Resumes show qualifications social media shows your fit and motivation for positions! Put it in writing before you put it online Personal branding statement Personal tagline LinkedIn summary LinkedIn heading Facebook bio Twitter bio

LINKEDIN A combination of your resume, cover letter, references, and portfolio A moving and living database of your professional network and accomplishments Share relevant content with all connections or just other members of a group Follow companies, explore career paths, and search for jobs Why be on Linkedin? >

LINKEDIN Before you do anything else, build your profile! Be yourself, expand beyond the resume; employers look for fit and motivation Include a picture Profile Summary very important! Begin with an action plan who are you? How can you help your industry or career area solve a problem? What do you do best? What are your key accomplishments? What role do you play in your organizations success? What are you looking for exactly? Professional Headline dont just include a current job title; describe who you are and what your value is to an organization Use keywords throughout your profile, but dont overdo it

GETTING TO 500+ CONNECTIONS Add everyone youve ever met in person immediately after you meet them Add ex-coworkers and alumni; use LinkedIns alumni tool: www.linkedin.com/alumni www.linkedin.com/alumni Join groups, add group members you admire Add recruiters - they never say no Avoid keyword stuffing Give just enough information so people see your value Personalize your invitation to connect!

TWITTER Same profile pic as Facebook Professional handle Bio what are you tweeting about? Follow companies, organizations, people you admire and recruiters Identify relevant hashtags and chats Twitter: Supercharged Networking>

OPTIMIZING TWITTER FOR JOB SEARCH Dont protect your tweets Have a customized background for your profile Have at least 20 tweets under your belt before you try reaching out Tweet articles and share information relevant to your audience and industry Follow companies, recruiters, industry leaders, career centers, job posters (i.e. @TweetMyJobs) Search hashtags relevant to job searching (i.e. #jobs, #jobsearch, #careers)

FACEBOOK Profile picture of just YOU Make some parts of your About Me public - work experience, education, clubs and organizations Set privacy controls for anything you dont want employers to see Disable the ability for people to tag you in pictures and videos Clean up past posts Best for interacting on a more personal level with contacts most referrals come from here Add campus events that you attend Follow company pages, professional groups, and career sites

STEP 3: PUBLISH YOURSELF

TIPS FOR ONLINE NETWORKING Hiring managers ultimately are looking to answer these three questions: Can you do the job? Do I like you? Are you motivated? Dont spam, shout, beg, or be a troll Dont add someone to your network without an explanation Share your voice practice it so it gets easier Dont be generic, add value to the conversation Be genuine your authentic self, show personality Keep interactions positive Be proactive, reach out, and interact Be respectful of others time get to the point

REACHING OUT TO EMPLOYERS 1. Find companies, people, and opportunities you want to follow Be specific, also identity who you need to network with 2. Get to know what the company and/or contact cares about and considers relevant do your research! Get noticed by reading industry news, following social media outlets, and understanding how YOU can add value Find ways to show you can relate to the person/organization; what do you have in common? 3. Track down someone who is willing to give you time for an informational interview Identify low stakes individuals to talk about what it is really like working there, invite these people to your networks 4. Start interacting with people who have the power to hire you Now you have information, make a good impression

WHAT TO SAY? Share, comment on an industry related article you read Ask a question to the audience Share a quote you found relevant or inspiring Post pictures of yourself participating in a hobby or professional event Give advice to someone else Share insights, opinions, frustrations (keep it professional!) Retweet or share someone elses post Give updates on your job search Tell people what you are looking for

TIPS FOR WRITING Write in first person Make sure more permanent info is polished, such at your LinkedIn profile and Twitter bio Shorter lifespan posts are less rigid, okay to be more informal and the occasional typo is okay Be brief get to the point Include pictures Dont sell, yell, or troll

YOUR DAILY SOCIAL MEDIA 20-MINUTE RITUAL LinkedIn Update your status Comment on one other persons update Post to one industry-relevant update Comment on a post from a group Invite three new people to your network Find and follow an interesting company

YOUR DAILY SOCIAL MEDIA 20-MINUTE RITUAL Facebook Post to your timeline (at least one public post per week) Comment on three other peoples posts Like five other peoples posts Like companies you want to work for and say hi

YOUR DAILY SOCIAL MEDIA 20-MINUTE RITUAL Twitter Respond to any Direct Messages or @Mentions Tweet something original, use industry hashtags Retweet someone in your network Follow five new people/companies @Mention someone you admire DM someone to start a conversation Participate in chats

STEP 4: MANAGE YOUR REPUTATION

FIND OUT WHATS ONLINE 80% of employers say they will Google you know you will get Googled! (careerspots>social media>google yourself) Also check out Spokeo, Zoom Info, social media search engines Your goal is to ensure that employers see you in the best possible light Assess search results whats already out there? Does the real you show up more than 3 times on Googles first page? Do you like the results? Not showing up in results at all is just as bad as having negative results! If you have a common name, try narrowing it down by adding a middle initial, city/state, or previous job

REPAIRING A BAD REPUTATION Bury old content by creating new content Blog LinkedIn Personal website (buy your domain name now!) Build profiles Share portfolio Build up over time, not all at once

MONITOR YOUR IMAGE Stay updated on your presence, even if you arent job searching What are people saying about you? Address inaccuracies or problems before they are widespread Thank people who share good information Search your name once a month Set up alerts through Google Alerts and Social Mention

PINTEREST SCSU Career Services Pinterest Site SCSU Career Services Pinterest Site

THANKS FOR VIEWING! Additional Resource: DEED Social Media Guides

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Like, Tweet, Share, Follow: Social Media & the Job Search