How to Get Your Dream Job Part 2: Getting Found Online
As I mentioned last week, I will be doing a series on How to Get Your Dream Job, particularly if entrepreneurship isn’t for you.
You can see the first part of the series here: How to Get Your Dream Job: Preparation for Resume and Interviews
With the rise of social media, it’s easier than ever to connect with prospective employers online. Unfortunately, it’s even easier to get lost amid the sheer number of other hopeful job seekers, as well. However, there are some things that you can do to make yourself stand out.
Source: nl.dawanda.com via DaWanda Nederland on Pinterest
The following are tips for using social media to find your dream job:
- LinkedIn: There are two primary ways to utilize LinkedIn: filling out your own job seeking profile, and finding company pages to follow. Make sure that your profile is filled out thoroughly. Most of the time, you will find that companies will not only provide information about their business, but they will also post current job openings on their page, too. You can also use LinkedIn to network with other people in the same industry that you want to enter.
- Twitter: Although you can’t post a resume on Twitter, you can use your profile for networking with people who have like interests and for interacting with companies that you would like to work for. Searching relevant hash tags is a great way to find companies that have immediate job openings. Additionally, make sure you use your description to link to your personal website if you use it for job seeking.
- Facebook: While Facebook is primarily known for keeping in touch with friends and relatives, you can also use it as an effective tool to find employment, as well. Search for company business pages and follow them so that you can interact regularly on their page. It’s also worth noting that a potential employer can come from unexpected places, like your friends list, which makes it crucial to keep you social media presence professional. Remember: prospective employers can look up your Facebook profile just as easily as you can look up their business page – don’t post things on your profile that you wouldn’t want them to see.
- Company Blogs: Following a company’s blog is also a great way to garner attention. Look for companies that you have the most interest in working for, and stay up to date on their news – the easiest way is to subscribe to their RSS feed or mailing list. It’s important to keep your list concise so that you aren’t spreading yourself too thin. Don’t forget to post meaningful comments on their new blog posts that provide insight into the topic or relevant feedback.
Additional ideas for getting found online:
- Use Facebook ads and Adwords to promote your professional website or LinkedIn profile.
- Set up Google alerts to help you find relevant job postings.
- Nurture the online connections that you make while networking – you never know when they will come in handy.
- Join relevant Facebook groups and forums that pertain to the industry that you want to enter and interact regularly.
On a final note, it’s very important to avoid coming across as desperate. For example, excessively posting on a company’s Facebook page, complaining about not having employment – or worse, bad mouthing other potential candidates – all diminish your chances of landing your dream job. Remember, the content that you post online will reflect on you now and in the future. You will find that casting a focused net centered on employers that you would enjoy working for, versus a broad one that encompasses every potential job that pays well, will land you better results.
Great tips Marissa! Using social media wisely can definitely help out in terms of landing that job you want. I used to use LinkedIn regularly in my job search before we started our company. We still use it now, but from a little bit of a different angle right now, but it can still be very effective for those purposes as well.
I’m always surprised when I notice that people don’t know about job posting on linkedin. Its a gold mine.
I have not used Linked In at all. I just haven’t put the time in to update my resume in the past year or so, and am so slammed working, I haven’t thought about other opportunities. I need to get on this STAT!
Yes you do!
I love that graphic BTW!
Positivity and providing value are really key online (even if that’s not how you actually feel).
LinkedIn has been really useful for me in my work in sniffing out stories and interview sources, and I hope it will become even more so when I go freelance while we travel; I’ll have to change up my strategy a little. Blogging and Twitter have also landed me paid work.
I’m surprised at the opps that blogging and tweeting brings.
Following a company blog, what a great idea! I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that before.
I’ve had friends find about opps that way.
LinkedIn is great particularly if you are in Marketing or Technology. Almost all of my coworkers were in the Top 1% of LinkedIn profiles viewed last year, primarily because of the different types of software we use at my job. Talk about getting found online!
Being in any tech means that recruiters are jumping at the chance to work with you.
I recently got an e-mail from a recruiter who found me on linked in (strange because I barely use linked in-tried to log in to check the new message and didn’t even remember my password). Social media does seem like a really good way to meet mutual acquaintances and find jobs these days.
Recruiters are all over linkedin, and yes, online is the way to go these days.
I find LinkedIn to be the best source in connecting to potential employers. I wouldn’t recommended twitter or Facebook since a lot of people don’t think of the things they post to these social networks.
I’m extremely picky with the content that I post online.
I hadn’t considered following the company blog, thanks!
You’re welcome.
Very great tips that come at a great time. I’m looking to become a Registered Investment Advisor and plan to spruce up my LinkedIn page over the next week. Do you think it’s necessary to have a photo of yourself for your LinkedIn page?
Yes! If you had the budget to get headshots, please do.
Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the tips. I have a LinkedIn account but am not using it…will work on it this weekend!
One site you forgot to mention is jobdreaming at http://www.jobdreaming.com which helps job candidates find their dream job for free in 30 seconds.