Social media is a wonderful tool; it gives us the ability to connect with individuals and immediate access to a myriad of information across industries and on a global scale. We have access to groups, forums, events, research and much more. One of my favorite professional social sites is LinkedIn because of the networking opportunity and sourcing abilities.

                Here are a few tips:

1.       Update your profile- Your profile is an online resume; make sure you update it periodically with achievements, community involvement and appropriate keywords. Include websites and share articles.

2.       Come up with a catchy heading- Be different and innovative, give people a reason to keep on reading your profile.

3.       Join relevant groups- The ability to join groups gives you access to a bigger audience and the opportunity to connect for free. It also gives you access to that specific network when performing searches.

4.       Participate in discussions- This will create a brand presence not only for yourself but for your company. People are curious and most will check out your profile. The more visible you are the better.

                LinkedIn gives individuals the opportunity to professionally expose themselves and connect with people that have the same interest or that are out of reach.  You never know when one of your connections will become a useful resource! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/virginiemascia!

Do you leverage LinkedIn?

Virginie

Hop on the social media train if you are looking to find your next job. The majority of recruiters use some sort of Social Media every day. Some staffing companies do not use Job Boards like Monster and CareerBuilder at all. They solely rely on Social Media outlets like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other lesser-known sites. I personally carry a smart phone and am constantly on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I will post jobs constantly on the 3 sites and receive responses on them as quickly as I receive e-mail.

According to a survey by Jobvite in July, 92% of recruiters said they now use social media to find talent, up from 89% last year, and 83% in 2010. The most compelling data to come from the study, which polled more than 1,000 human resource and recruiting managers online, was that 73% of those surveyed said they hired a new employee via social media.

When it comes to the particular social networking sites, LinkedIn remains king among recruiters with 93% of respondents saying they use the site to find job candidates.

In second place is Facebook, with two-thirds of those polled saying they use the site, up substantially from 55% last year. Twitter is also gaining traction, with 54% saying they look for talent on the site.

The steps to successfully board the social media Train include the following:

1)    Create a profile with a professional photo on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and any other site that has a presence.

2)    Connect with groups that match your skill set, industry leaders, friends, and colleagues.

3)    On Twitter, you should follow local Job sites, recruiters, staffing agencies, and user groups.

4)    Don’t be afraid to send messages directly to recruiters. Recruiters are on social media sites because they want to be contacted.

Enjoy your Social Media ride.

Jeremy

Follow me on Twitter @jeremydreynolds, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+

Back again with another blog, amazing I know, but so far my “public” keeps clamoring for more! Actually, our Incepture Blog Coordinator, little Miss “you owe me a blog” keeps clamoring for more, so here we go again!

Ever wonder what perfect strangers know or can know about you?  When I say “perfect strangers” I don’t mean Balki and Cousin Larry (anybody remember that show?) I mean the entire rest of the world including……….potential employers!

Yes, it is now a fact of life that you will probably be checked out through your web presence long before you walk through the door for an interview.  What will they find?

The good news is that you can control a lot of what is out there; the bad news……There is still a lot there that can hurt you.

First Google yourself to see what they will see. I did my last name, which isn’t a very common name, and got 3,400,000 results. Adding my first name dropped that back to 300,000. As part of the 300,000 I learned that I am a freelance photographer in Hawaii and I was arrested for assault in New Jersey. As an aside, I once heard that the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that “drive by shootings” were common place enough in NJ that the damage had to be covered by your car’s comprehensive coverage! Can you imagine what it takes to get arrested in New Jersey?!! When I wasn’t in jail, I walked to end Alzheimer’s and my Facebook page profile picture was me holding a beer while two buddies blew through straws into my ears.  I wish I were that interesting a person!

 I was delighted to see that the number one Google hit was my real LinkedIn profile. Hopefully a potential employer would look at that before Mr. Straws!

So what’s a person to do? First, if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, set one up, and ensure that your complete resume is included. The site will assist you with that. Connect with people you actually know, as mentioned in a prior blog that is part of networking. Put a professional picture of yourself on there. Many job sites will now allow you to apply through your LinkedIn profile, Incepture does. Use it, that way they will know which Joe Schmotz, of all the Joe Schmotz’s out there you are!

Second, clean up your Facebook page, set your privacy settings to not allow others to tag you in photos. (Privacy settings - those pesky little things that you agreed to knowing about when you signed up, and then never gave a second thought to again.) You should consider quitting Facebook groups that might lead to more questions.  While the Young Communist League of Nova Scotia may sound like a fun, light your hair on fire kind of group, it may not play well with some future employers.

Sign up for Google alerts to see what is being written about you. And lastly, in the age where everyone has a camera in their phone, try not to do stupid stuff that someone will think is perfect for YouTube!

Good luck and until next time comment or follow me on twitter, at @KHCO00 (That’s KHCO zero zero)

Take care,

Matt