BETHANY TULLER — Career Services Undergraduate Intern
We hear the warning all the time: “Your social networking sites can hurt you when job hunting.” Yes, this is true. Employers can see things in a potential employee’s Google results that will send a resume straight to the trashcan. But as college students, we are the social media generation. We know how to use Facebook, Twitter and whatever the next big thing will be. But many college students don’t know that you can use social media to its full potential- and used the right way, what you do online could help you get a job.
Here are seven tips to help you develop your online personality (professionally) and potentially land a job!
1. Google yourself
This is the first step. Simply put “John Smith” in the search tab and see what comes up. This is your virtual resume- do you like what it says about you? Start to be aware of what you post and what photos you are tagged in.
2. Link up
LinkedIn is one of the most important job hunting tools. Besides connecting you to people already in your network, you have access to many other possible connections. When you meet someone new, add them on LinkedIn. There are even apps for the iPhone and other smartphones that let you scan people’s contact information from business cards right into your phone and then find them on LinkedIn.
3. Explore
Beyond networking, you can use LinkedIn for career exploration. Simply do a “people” search using a keyword such as “event planner” in the main search box and view profiles of people in that field. From there you can view an individual’s career path and see the various job titles and responsibilities in the field.
4. Start tweeting
Like LinkedIn, Twitter allows you to connect with people you don’t know. It has all of the networking benefits of LinkedIn, but in an easy 140-character format! Check out Twellow.com, a directory of public Twitter accounts, to find people working in your desired industry. Twitter is also a great place for free professional development. Many professions have chats at designated times. For example, the School Counseling chat is #scchat. Simply search the hashtag and start learning and connecting with people in the field.
5. Be yourself
Make sure all of your handles (like your Twitter name) are your real name. Not only will it help your search engine results, it will be more professional than say @SCSUcutie12.
6. Build a blog
Blogging is a great way to have a professional presence on the Internet, and it can be a great networking tool. Consider starting a blog related to your career interests. If you, for example, are interested in a career in marketing, consider blogging about industry trends, news and related topics. Feel free to list your blog on your resume if it is relevant to the career field or position that you are interviewing for.
7. Connect your content
It may not seem like a good idea to intertwine your online identities now, but once you have established a professional persona online, connecting and cross posting on all of your social media outlets is actually a great idea. Wrote a blog post? Tweet it, post it on LinkedIn and then write a note or status with the first paragraph on Facebook and link to it. Yes, sometimes this is a little annoying to our friends (and hashtags on Facebook just look silly), but this is the best way for a lot of people to see and share your information.
Social media can be one of your greatest assets in the job search, but don’t let it be your only avenue. Make it a point to get away from the keyboard to network face-to-face
