Much of the candidate profiling and recruitment is happening online these days. Which is why, it's important to ensure that you have the right profile to attract recruiters towards you. According to one survey, 70% of the employers polled in the sample study used online research to choose candidates. More significantly, 57% clearly indicated that they don't call candidates for the next round of recruitment who don’t have an online presence.
LinkedIn: The most used tool is this professional networking platform. If you are not here, you are in no way qualified for a job. Landing a job anywhere requires you to create an account here and keep it updated throughout your life span. Sharing posts of your dream companies and their employees is one way to get on their radar. Interacting with them is next. Just make sure you don’t it so often that they get the impression you have ulterior motives. Only comment or share if you really feel for it. Look for mutual contacts and get introduced to potential employers through your friends and friends of friends. If it’s an Inmail message, customise it to suit them and their requirements. Don’t use the default message to connect on Linkedin. That’s a definite put off unless you know them well.
Twitter: This is a great place to interact with the employees and decision makers in the company you want to work for. The best way to find them is to use hashtags and keywords in a field you are most passionate about. Following such people will not only let you understand their thinking but also give you an opportunity to engage with them by replying to their tweets and retweeting them if you agree with what they have to say. This not only helps you gain confidence in your chosen field but also offer you common talking points. Using social media to get a job is the best tool available at no extra cost to you. Imagine following a person on Twitter and engaging with them on Linkedin.
Facebook: This is where most people end up washing their dirty linen in public. By posting rabid party pictures or making offensive political or religious remarks, you are landing on the wrong side of employment. No one wants a gadfly who barks up the wrong tree. And no one wants an irresponsible person who doesn't care about what others think. Therefore, make sure you hide comments you don't want others to see or even better, delete all your offensive statements. And when you are out and about enjoying a party, keep your phone photos private.
Too much of anything
Don't try to be on every social media under the sun. Most times, you end up posting a few updates and forget about them. But those stay on as you forget to delete them. If they were offensive posts, it could land you in trouble. So keep your professional presence in just a handful of networks you really enjoy and delete the ones you hardly use. If you are a freelancer or the sole proprietor of any firm, it's important that you have a website that positions you the way you want the others to view you.
And Finally...
All of this doesn't mean you throw away the traditional ways of landing a job. Make sure your resume is up to date and you are going to all the networking events that offer jobs, contacts and references. Before we forget, make sure you have a professional-looking photo and not one where you are pulling a face or making weird gestures. One wrong move can turn away recruiters. A headshot against a neutral background is best, so nothing distracts the viewer from you. One good way of landing a job is staring right in your face. Follow job search experts like workflexi.in. If you are looking for contract jobs, this is the best destination. So follow us and you will never be disappointed.
