2. 2
Your Career Insurance Policy:
Making social media ‘work’ for you
Social media collides with almost every part of our lives – from announcing breaking news and managing party invitations, right through to the way we search for work.
There was once a mind-set that some social platforms were for professional life, and others were for social life, but the reality is, they are beginning to blend.
There are hundreds of social media platforms in existence but do you know how to use social media to boost your professional profile and raise awareness of your
specific skills and expertise with the right people? If not, read on—this is now a core skill you simply must have.
Keys to Social Success: check list
Be Authentic: be who you are, be honest because social
crowds can spot a fake from a mile
Be Relevant: think about the content that is being shared
and if the platform works for you
Be Consistent: candidate can’t put professional foot forward
on LinkedIn; then be swearing on Twitter, and have drunken
photos on Facebook
Be Appropriate: only say the things that you would talk
about in an interview
Be Connected: who you connect with, and what you say,
matters; not just about what/who you know, but who you are
linked to; ‘you can tell a lot about a person by their friends’.
93%
of recruiters
use LinkedIn
to source talent
Social media is
no longer on the rise
in the recruitment world – it is the norm
Twitter is the go-to for more
than half (54%) sourcing talent
One in four recruiters
surveyed had successfully sourced
a candidate on Facebook
have hired
this way
89%
54%
LinkedIn continues to dominate social recruiting
at 93% adoption, while 66% use Facebook.
Two-thirds of companies are offering incentives
for their staff to get involved with referring hires.
Source: Jobvite’s fifth annual Social Recruiting Survey
3. 3
Introduction
Social media collides with almost every part of our lives – from
announcing breaking news and managing party invitations,
right through to the way we search for work.
There was once a mind-set that some social platforms were
for professional life, and others were for social life, but the
reality is, they are beginning to blend. From Facebook, to
Twitter and LinkedIn, many of us are already using social media
to connect with recruiters and potential employers, but using
it to your professional advantage can, and often does, take
a little practise.
There are hundreds of social media platforms (‘sites’) in
existence and given how prominent social media is, it is likely
you are already using some of them, but do you know how
to maintain your professional social reputation, for the long
term? Do you know how to use social media to boost your
professional profile and raise awareness of your specific skills
and expertise with the right people? If not, read on — this is
now a core skill you simply must have.
The leading social sites
Facebook: a giant online directory (and diary) of individuals, businesses, brands,
products, and government organisations. Best for connecting with people you
already have a relationship with as they will need to ‘accept’ your invitation to
‘friend’ (link to) them. Local sites such as Weibo in China have similar functionality
and large, local user bases.
Twitter: A micro-blogging site where users (‘Tweeps’) can post updates (‘Tweets’)
up to 140 characters. It provides a good opportunity to connect with people who
you don’t know (unless they have a protected account, which is the minority).
LinkedIn: The largest professional network in the world and in the words of the
CEO Jeff Weiner, the goal is ‘to match talent with opportunity’ (Fortune, July 1
2013). Your CV is your profile, and LinkedIn is the place to follow other companies,
business leaders, alumni groups, recruiters, and keep an eye out for jobs.
Google+ and Hangouts: a social network that allows people to connect with both
professional and personal connections in one place by keeping them separate
through the ‘circles’ function. Google+ tracks users’ activity across many other
sites, enables fast and effective collaboration and incorporates apps such as the
Hangouts features, where users can conduct ‘virtual’ meetings.
Tumblr: A visual blogging site that allows you to post words, pictures and videos
and share with others. Traditionally the choice of younger users, Yahoo’s acquisition
of Tumblr is likely to see it more widely used by brands and individuals for
professional purposes.
YouTube: Still the largest video-sharing site in the world, although smaller social
apps like Vine and Instagram have large user-bases too. Here, you can follow video
publishers, share content and comment on other users’ posts.
4. 4
Everyone really is doing it
Recruiting a role or finding a job on social media is no
longer something ‘other people’ do – it’s now the norm.
Jobvite’s fifth annual Social Recruiting Survey has shown that
social media is no longer on the rise in the recruitment world –
it is the norm. LinkedIn continues to dominate social recruiting
at 93 per cent adoption, while 66 per cent use Facebook. And
with two-thirds of companies incentivising their staff to get
involved with referring hires, it has become big business.
In fact, recruiting passive candidates through employee referrals
and social networking is the most popular tactic for competing
with other employers. So, the more people on social media
who know about your skills and believe you to be credible and
authentic, the better.
Social job-hunting is especially important if you are in an
industry where social media is central to the work you do, such
as media, digital, marketing, communications, politics and
academia. Perhaps in different ways, all industries engage on
social media – professional bodies, associations, jobsites, and
businesses – so there is a ‘way in’ for everyone, no matter what
your job of interest.
5. 5
Be where the recruiters are looking*
93%
of recruiters use LinkedIn to source talent;
89%
have hired this way.
Twitter is the go-to for more than half (54%
)sourcing talent
One in fourrecruiters surveyed had successfully
sourced a candidate on Facebook.
*Source: Networking infograph
6. 6
It just makes sense
If work and play weren’t crossing over enough,
social media has turbo-boosted the merge.
Work colleagues are in our social networks; and social media
is being used in business operations for good times and bad
(promotions, and emergencies), and to connect professionals.
Add to that the scenario that the world is getting a little
smaller, but better connected thanks to technology, and you
have the perfect setting for a global job hunt without leaving
your office, café table, or couch.
Recruiters have also indicated that recruitment done this way
is providing better candidates and it saves a lot of time as
communication is quicker and ‘screening’ is easier.
An upside for candidates searching for job opportunities and
connecting to future managers and colleagues this way is the
familiarity and engagement they build before even starting a
role. Most workplaces and brands have social media accounts
themselves, so demonstrating an understanding of, and
experience with it, is becoming important.
That said, job-hunting the social way has its advantages
and disadvantages because talking is easy —backing it up
with examples and action is harder. While it’s easier to make
connections, it takes work to develop the relationship into
something mutually beneficial.
Be proactive and make the effort, follow people up just as you
would in the ‘real world’. Social media is (as the
name suggests) a socialising activity.
It doesn’t happen by itself.
How much you get out of it
will depend (like most things
in life!) what you put it into it.
7. 7
Your personal brand carries weight
Brand yourself as a company would brand its product.
Personal brands, and social media brands, are no longer as
separate as they once were and your reputation and the way
others view you on social media is important. It is how people
will understand you and your skills; and screen you.
Older generations would rarely have mixed socially with the
boss, and now it is the norm. On the flip side, younger
generations might have grown up with social media, but they
have missed out on the ‘old school’ rules of what should be
talked about in the office, and what should be left at home.
For job-seekers, there is an opportunity to showcase your skills,
talent and ideas on social media, but the challenge is to be
authentic. The reality is that recruiters are likely to check your
online presence to see if there is anything that a client might
find inappropriate or risky before they even interview you.
Employers also need to consider their online brand for the job
seekers who are researching online. For example, they should be
providing regular information and updates, and be responsive
to customer queries and complaints online. A company that is
inactive in the social world might not be as ‘innovative’ as they
say there are on their website. Most candidates will also do
online research about an interview panel, so the individuals’
details also need to create a positive impression.
Both jobseekers and employers need to remember that when it
comes building and protecting your social brand, you need to
consider:
Authenticity: be who you are, be honest because social
crowds can spot a fake from a mile;
Relevance: think about the content that is being shared
and if the platform works for you;
Consistency: candidate can’t put professional foot forward
on LinkedIn; then be swearing on Twitter, and have drunken
photos on Facebook)
Connections: who you connect with, and what you say,
matters; not just about what/who you know, but who you are
linked to; ‘you can tell a lot about a person by their friends’.
Appropriateness: only say the things that you would talk
about in an interview.
8. 8
“Be authentic—stand behind who you are
as a person and make sure that you can
stand behind what you’re saying.”
[Participant comment from Track
‘Is Social Media in Recruitment just a Big Hype?’ at #truLondon.]
9. 9
Get ahead of the pack with research
Of all the skills, and knowledge of the ins and outs
of social media job-hunting, knowing how to research
is probably the most important.
There are two reasons why social media will help get you ahead
of the job candidate market:
1. You will be able to get insights, connections and news
that others might not have.
2. Not enough people are using it to their advantage and
researching the information available, so if you do,
you are a step ahead.
There is a real opportunity for everyone (graduates, recruiters,
managers) to research employers and others (i.e. people who
work in fields of interest) to their advantage. LinkedIn and
Twitter profiles (as well as blogs, digital portfolios and sites
like about.me) give licence to research and learn about other
people’s careers, jobs and the world of work like never before –
research to find people just like you and start a conversation.
Easy ways to use social media for job research:
1. Searching a job title you are interested in on LinkedIn –
instantly you will have profiles of people in businesses
and industries you might like to work in.
2. Enter the title of the latest world conference for your
industry, identify the most common event hash tag
(starting with ‘#’), and find out about the emerging topics
and job trends, and see who is sharing, commenting
and leading in this space.
3. On Facebook, you probably have a more known and
trusted network – post an update asking if anyone knows
of someone who works in an industry of interest, or a
location you are relocating for work whether, Ireland or India.
“Where do you want to be in 10 years? See what other people have
done. There are so many new jobs out there that didn’t exist a year ago.”
[Participant comment from Track ‘Is Social Media in Recruitment
just a Big Hype?’ at #truLondon.]
10. 10
10 tips for job-hunting the social way
1. Have faith – job hunting and career researching this way
the new standard.
2. Set-up an account on at least one of the big three –
LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook – if you haven’t already.
3. Provide as much detail about your career experience on
your accounts as you are comfortable with. Mention your
profession in your Twitter description, on Facebook, and fill
out your entire LinkedIn profile with as much detail as possible.
4. Use the search functions to research the names of companies,
business leaders, case studies and industry keywords of
interest to you. Don’t be afraid to link to them and open the
door to engage.
5. Many recruiters and jobs boards will have social media
accounts – follow recruiters and job boards, even based on
e-newsletters you receive. Newsletters might be weekly but
social media is immediate. Many recruiters and job boards will
have social media accounts.
6. Get active – ask questions, comment on blog/discussion
posts, reply to questions, ‘re-tweet’, follow, join groups, search
the names of people who are interviewing you.
7. Put forward your expertise – everyone has something
work-related to share so if you have done something, know
something, or have found something interesting – tell your
network.
8. Go at your own pace – it is OK to observe and just dip your
toe in the water to begin as there is still a lot to be learnt.
9. Find the right balance between professional and personal.
It is very fine in social media, including the impact it could
have on your career when commenting and sharing. Showing
your uniqueness and personality is important, but remember
reputation is important, everything stays on the internet.
10. Ask yourself: ‘Would I be happy/able to back-up what I’m
about to say in an interview?’
11. 11
Conclusion
Social media is the signpost not the destination
While not true of everyone, most people don’t grow up
aspiring to be public speakers —and social media is a public
speaking platform. For some, this can be daunting and raise
questions about how you should behave and present yourself.
However, social media can be a way to help you connect with
people whose circle might have been impossible otherwise
– MDs of recruitment firms, senior leaders of top companies,
following a business on LinkedIn. Once upon a time, you had
to actually work with these people and organisations, now you
can be on the other side of the world and still get their insight,
and contact them directly. It is also a great way to be able to
see what networking events, careers fairs or conferences are
going on in your industry, in a place near you. And, if you aren’t
near to these events, it is likely that someone is commenting
about them on social media, so you don’t have to miss out
entirely.
Just like any other form of public speaking, it’s important to
consider what you say, how you say it and what the purpose of
your ‘speech’ really is when using social media. Understanding
how to authentically represent ourselves, as well as how to
research and create opportunities on social media are now core
skills for many roles. Do these things well and you’ll have a
significant career advantage.
