Social Networking & LinkedIn for Job Searches
- 1. Using Social Media in Your Job Search
- 2. It’s Who You Know… Networking : the #1 method for finding a job Social network : a web service connecting people so that they may share information (blogs, news, etc.) A user’s ‘profile’ includes personal information, links, and a way to connect or share information
- 3. Research companies: find the right contact person 58.1% of companies had successfully hired a candidate found through a social network. (Jobvite.com recruiting) 85% of employers say that a positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions. *Switch from a job search to a people search* Why? Show that you are internet savvy Showcase yourself and your experience – more in-depth than a resume Build your contacts! Find opportunities that aren’t on job boards
- 4. Be Proactive: Many hiring managers conduct background checks using social networks, Google, and keyword-search technologies…. You’re being Googled… “ 83% of recruiters use search engines to learn about candidates and 43% of recruiters admit to eliminating candidates based on information they found online.” - ExecuNet Study, 2007 If you’re not online, you’re not visible…
- 5. Facts about the network How to create a profile Tips and tools for using it in your job search Social Media: Part 2
- 6. The world’s largest professional network Free service with over 120M members (over 1 million companies, over 150 industries) Mostly employed, adult professionals Profile focuses on work experience Used for professional networking, information sharing, job postings 80% of companies recruit through the LinkedIn network. (Jobvite) Based on the idea of “three degrees” You, Friends, Friends of friends
- 7. How to Start Create a profile, at least 90% complete, as an introduction of who you are and what you can do. Your headline and summary should stand out – they are the first things people see. Write as you would first introduce yourself to someone (don’t use third person).
- 8. Free Account Options: Create a Profile & Build Your Network Connect with Industry & Alumni Groups Search & Apply for Jobs I want to find people who work at…
- 9. Your professional headline (visible to everyone) If not employed, what do you do best? Summarized Profile Creating a Professional Profile Status Updates – can merge with Twitter (don’t share all of your personal Twitter posts here) Headline Ideas: • Client-focused, Big Idea Salesperson • Recent Ohio State Honors Grad and Publishing Intern • IT Project Manager Seeking New Opportunity • Senior Public Relations and Internal Communications Executive Downloadable version of your profile
- 10. Can Use this space for a “Pitch” -- Engage the Reader Include Industry Buzzwords: abilities, interests, values (This area is searchable) Creating a Professional Profile
- 11. New Section! Search for your field – see what keywords are commonly associated; make sure they appear in your profile! You will also see a list of Professionals in that field, a list of related companies and groups, and job openings.
- 13. You can used LinkedIn to see how others with similar skills present themselves – a cheat sheet for resume writing! Creating a Professional Profile
- 14. www.onetonline.org Use O*Net to search for a job title and see tasks, skills, technology used, abilities, average wages, etc (useful for completing a resume/job description).
- 15. Recommendations can help you build credibility. Additional Info: Stand out from the crowd here. Creating a Professional Profile
- 16. (can link to Twitter, SlideShare, add an Amazon Reading List…) You can join up to 50 groups (many have job boards). You can receive email updates as well. Creating a Professional Profile
- 17. Try to get to 90% profile completion with: A current position Two past positions Education Profile summary A profile photo Specialties At least three recommendations Make sure to have a professional profile picture – don’t hide!
- 18. My profile is complete… …now what? Connect with those you know Engage in Q&A sections Join Groups related to your interests Research Companies you’d like to work for Search for Job Postings
- 19. Connecting Connect with people you’ve emailed or who have companies/schools in common with you.
- 20. Q&A Section
- 21. Use company research to make connections
- 23. You can follow a company or find out its about employees.
- 24. Who are they hiring?
- 25. What do their employees do? Who in your network may work there?
- 26. Where do employees come from? What companies are related?
- 27. See open jobs… … then find out who to contact
- 28. Connecting with the Right Person: Find a contact in Human Resources Don’t forget about making phone calls to build relationships or ask for other contacts or information!
- 29. The LinkedIn “Jobs” Tab LinkedIn matches keywords in your profile to open positions to generate a list of jobs you might be interested in, and shows you who you might know at that company. You can also search for jobs by title, keyword, or company name New Tool: “Apply with LinkedIn” – companies can include a ‘button’ on their website job postings; you will see any connections you might have at that company. Any jobs you apply to will save to your LinkedIn Jobs tab.
- 30. Can use Advanced to search by Job Title, Function, Company, Experience, Location, Industry or Date
- 31. LinkedIn sends weekly updates , showing profile changes, new connections… If you post on your profile, you will appear in your connections’ update email. Stay Current
- 32. Tips Let your profile showcase your professional best: include your work history, education and credentials, adapt from your resume. Use keywords to be search-friendly. Look at it critically: Would you hire YOU to do something? If not, edit/rewrite. Share: Include a link to your profile in your email signature and on other networking profiles. Join groups and be active (school, industry, hobbies, location, employer..) Groups usually have topic-based and job discussions.
- 33. Tips Connect : start with your email address book. Explore the Jobs tab : LinkedIn automatically matches openings based on keywords in your profile. Check out your competition: Use LinkedIn’s “ Advanced People Search ” (keyword/skills, title, area of expertise) to find networking leads or new ideas for your resume. Identify companies you’d like to work for, search for their employees, and introduce yourself. For a Tips Blog: http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com Official LinkedIn Blog: http://blog.linkedin.com/
- 34. Not sure where to start? Watch others, check the help pages. Keep your information up to date . List your LinkedIn profile on your traditional resume . Have links to your other accounts (Facebook, Twitter, a blog) from there. Get a Gmail account – it’s seen as more tech-savvy than Yahoo, Hotmail or AOL (and still free). Follow Up offline with people to “close the deal.” Overall Tips
- 35. 79% of recruiters have reviewed online information posted to social sites. 70% have rejected an applicant based on information they found. (Microsoft Privacy Report 2011) Know how you will be found: Google yourself. Define your boundaries. Use privacy settings, make sure information is consistent and accurate. Don’t use personal contact info (address, phone number) if you share a resume online; just an email. Engage in the way that fits you best. Manage Your Online Reputation
- 36. Tools to monitor your online presence Google Alerts for your name ( www.google.com/alerts ) Reach Branding Online ID Calculator ( www.onlineidcalculator.com ) Check Pipl.com and ZoomInfo; Whois.com lets you take some info offline. Zabasearch.com (searches ‘public information’ records)
- 37. Prepare to be Googled – be smart about what you post, and what others post about you… everything becomes public.
- 38. Bonus Tip! Explore using a QR (Quick Response) code on your resume, and connecting it to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or other website. A QR code is a cell phone readable bar code that can store website URLs, plain text, phone numbers, email addresses and pretty much any other alphanumeric data. Go to one of these sites. Enter the web address (or contact info, etc) you want the code to link to. (qrstuff gives you more options) The site will generate the code image, which you can save or send. http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ http://www.qrstuff.com http://tag.microsoft.com
- 39. QR Codes are Popping up Everywhere
Editor's Notes
- #3: The key to getting a job is getting in touch with a decision-maker. There are many social networks, blogs, discussion groups, and websites for job seekers to gain professional contacts, with three of the largest being LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
- #7: Enlarging your personal contact network using tools like LinkedIn makes it more likely that you’ll hear about the right opening, or be contacted by the right employer.
- #10: In creating your LinkedIn profile, you don’t want to simply duplicate your resume. LinkedIn is more flexible than that, and the tone can be a bit more casual. Enter the name that you use professionally (not a nickname, etc), and a title or tagline. Whether or not you have a job now, you’re still a Marketing Specialist or Sales Manager, etc. Choose the industry (where mine says architecture & planning) that most closely matches what you do. Use the Status Update to post the latest business news about yourself, showing that you’re actively career-minded. ie: “Just applied for a job at ____” “Attended a great meeting about ___” “Reading a great book about ___”
- #11: Use your summary to state what you do well in your work – similar to a resume’s professional summary or objective, but with more flexibility. Specialties is for particular strengths and skills, things that might be searched for by recruiters, HR departments, etc. It’s fine if this section is long. Review the profiles of others in your field to find appropriate phrasing or to spark ideas. The skills section is a new addition to LinkedIn, and works similarly.
- #14: You don’t need to list every single bullet from your resume here; it’s easier to read through if you include one or two points for each position. If you need help phrasing titles or job duties, O*Net is an online resource that can help…
- #15: O*Net is searchable, and has detailed descriptions for occupations.
- #16: Insert relevant education into your profile. If you’re concerned about dating yourself, leave off the years. Recommendations are not “references,” but they allow those who know your word to say good things about you. The person writing the recommendation needs to be a LinkedIn member, but doesn’t have to be connected to you. As you create your profile, you’ll see the “Move” icons at the left of each section title. You can rearrange your profile to emphasize areas you’d like to focus attention on.
- #17: Your interests section should focus on professional topics, with only a few personal ones. Groups and associations are often affiliated with professional groups, alumni groups or based upon interests. Contact settings: be sure you’re easy to reach.
- #20: LinkedIn makes it easy to go through your email address book to find appropriate people to invite to “connect” with you on LinkedIn. If you join LinkedIn groups, you’re likely to find people you’d like to connect with there as well. A current connection may lead you to someone else’s profile. Once you are connected to a co-worker, for example, you can then take a look at their connections – some of whom may be people you’d like to connect with, too.
- #21: Use the Q&A section to share your expertise, or simply to find answers to questions on work, career, or industry issues.
- #22: Many companies get new hires through their current employees, so trying to make connections with those employees can be worthwhile.
- #29: As you start to find people you may want to connect with, LinkedIn will tell you if you have any connections in common, or whether there is anyone you are connected to who also works at your company of interest. You can ask the person between you and your target contact to introduce you, or you can send “InMail” directly to the person you’d like to connect with.
- #32: Stay current and appear in your connections’ weekly update emails by regularly updating your page and making new connections.
- #33: Don’t worry if you don’t complete every section on your first pass. LinkedIn will give you reminders and tips about things to complete, but you don’t have to do it right away. Expect your profile to grow and change over time.