In this guest post, Greg Bruce, General Manager at MindBank Recruitment (Australia) takes a closer look at the effectiveness of using social media as a means of finding a new job.
In an increasingly competitive job market future employers are looking for individuals who are prepared to go that extra mile to demonstrate their knowledge, expertise or passion for a new role. Social media is one of the many tools that need to be part of any strategy when looking for a new job, but remember it’s not the only one.
In a profession that constantly rates job candidates in terms of their experience and knowledge, I guess it’s only natural for me to scale my own proficiency and expertise in the emerging recruiting tool of today – social media. Admittedly, I am a fairly raw (but enthusiastic) social media convert. In industry speak, I’d be an ‘undergraduate, with a keen willingness to learn’.
However, I’m fairly certain there are many others like me – recruitment industry veterans who have decided to test the social media waters and explore how sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter assist people in gaining successful and meaningful employment. As the debate if online news sites will replace traditional newspapers continues, it’s no surprise that similar questions have also been raised over the influence of social media on recruitment.
Will it completely transform the way we recruit and, conversely, how candidates apply for jobs?
Drew Hansen of Forbes explains how social media’s influence on recruitment has so far been incremental, not game-changing. I agree with Drew’s stand-point, but believe that industry change (of any degree) warrants, at the very least, careful consideration, especially when something as far-reaching and dynamic as social media is causing the change.
And it’s not just recruitment professionals who must acknowledge such change, it’s job seekers (and often passive candidates who aren’t even looking for jobs at the time) who must acknowledge the influence social media can have on their own career prospects.
The most important advice I can offer candidates using social media are:
Research your target.
Analyse your skills and interests and be targeted in what you’re looking for, instead of trawling through employment websites, in the hope that the perfect job will just appear.
As well as using mediums such as corporate and industry websites, traditional job boards and career councillor advice, use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn to research the job you want. Think about the industry, role, remuneration and work-life balance that you desire, as well as organisations that you’d like to work for.
Whilst corporate websites will generally provide a wealth of information about an organisation’s core activity and values, far more in depth, less ‘filtered’ information about an organisation’s culture, its personnel, key industry players and the issues facing certain industries or organisations can be found in blogs, photos, videos and in discussion forums. Using social media to research prospective employers will ensure your application is an intelligent one.
Be prepared to be researched.
On the other hand, while social media now empowers job seekers more than ever before, allowing them easier access to ‘no holds barred’ employer-related content, the weight of ‘power’ is equally balanced in favour of the employer.
Recent Telstra research revealed that more than a quarter of Australian bosses are now using social networking sites to screen job candidates, with almost half admitting to turning away prospects based on something they’d seen on Facebook or Twitter.
Consider what information or images you have on your social media profiles and use privacy settings if this isn’t information you’d want your prospective employer to see.
Make your social media profile as strong as your resume.
It must be an accurate, honest and responsible reflection of who you are. Recruiters nowadays look for current information on job seekers so if you are submitting a resume, include your updated and complete LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook profile addresses in it (again, consider content and privacy settings).
The following article from MWH National Marketing Manager, Jacqueline Burns brings home the importance of ensuring your social media profile is an accurate, honest and responsible reflection of who you are. Embellishing job titles and past experience or posting entirely false information could have long-term damaging effects on your career and professional integrity.
Connecting with key industry influencers online and being an active online participant in groups and industry discussions will also position you firmly in the market, ensuring you stand out as an ideal target for recruiters.
Even if you are not actively pursuing a new job, your profile on sites such as LinkedIn and the connections and recommendations you have from colleagues can stand you in good stead in the eyes of recruiters.
Finally … a holistic, integrated approach is best.
Social media will never entirely take the place of traditional recruitment practices, however it would be naive to ignore the changes it has and continues to make to recruitment. Candidates must consider social media’s influence on their future career prospects and use it smartly, among other more ‘traditional’ tools like face-to-face networking.
Social media is an evolving beast. It’s hard to imagine anyone becoming a ‘graduate’ of something so ever-changing and dynamic. The only way to keep up, I guess, is to stay amongst it, keep contributing and to embrace the change.
Have you used social media to land a job? Tell us more about your experience and tips you have for other job seekers.
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http://twitter.com/pr_doctor The PR Doctor
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