Question

How can using online social networks be an important tool for finding a job? List at least two social media sites and explain how they can be useful in a job search.

Answer 1

• Social networking has become increasingly important as a tool to help find a new job over the last few years. Networking has always been a great way of finding jobs and opportunities, and with social media it has become possible to take it to another level.
• Social media usage in finance has grown enormously in recent years, with more and more people relying on the channel as a core networking tool.
• It allows you to have greater access to individuals with whom you may not otherwise have the chance to connect with – essentially, you can connect with nearly anyone who has a presence online.
• Many businesses now embrace social media as part of their talent attraction strategy. A potential employer can discover a sense of a candidate's personality before an interview that they don’t necessarily get from their CV and cover letter.
• When thinking about finding a job using social media, LinkedIn definitely comes to mind first, as it is a social platform for professionals who are actively looking to network.
• LinkedIn profiles help employees and job seekers increase visibility online and help build a professional profile, so it’s important that information is complete, detailed and accurate.
  
• One can also connect their LinkedIn profile with Facebook and Twitter,so if a potential hiring manager is going through the profile on LinkedIn,the candidate will be notified about it on other sites as well.
• From a career perspective Facebook can be useful as it’s an easy way to ask your personal connections for information and advice about your career or job search and can also provide a resource of information on both individuals and companies.
• The informal nature of the site, and its interactivity, means that you can often obtain information and communicate with employers in a way that may not be possible elsewhere.
• Twitter is a public platform for people to post and exchange short messages. People use it to interact with other people or organisations they find interesting or useful, including attaching links or photos that they want to share with their Twitter community.
• Businesses use it to promote their services, expertise and entice people to visit their website.
• There is also Indeed.com,which is another website for searching jobs according to one's qualififcations,location,company and experience.
• It is good to extend your network through social media by connecting with fellow professionals and potential employers.A quality job profile would never go unnoticed on any of the job search sites provided its eye-catching and well constructed to attract the attention of the hiring managers.
• Social networking sites provide numerous opportunities as compared to traditional employment methods. Your social networking profile links you up to hundreds of people (through your friends and beyond).
• Depending on the scale of your social networking, you can build a great contact list, through which you can keep yourself informed of new opportunities on the horizon.
• The reality is that most job openings in real is found through word-of-mouth. In these social media times, it is now being complemented by social networking.
• If you have a strong network and you have friends who have confidence in you and your abilities, you can easily get them to recommend you for a post. They can also share information about openings in their organization.
• A good and growing social network would allow you to get to know about new and existing opportunities. There are groups related to fields of interest, where you search through ads posted by other people.
• Social networks provide an easy way of getting to know about employment opportunities and trends in your field of interest. By following experts, you can keep yourself informed of the things you need to do that can help you climb up the ladder or position yourself for exciting openings. For example, by liaising and interacting with such experts you can get an idea of the requirements and expectations of potential employers.
• Social networking is also very important with regard to your reputation as a potential candidate for companies. Most companies now do go through their applicants’ social profile where possible.
• How you present yourself to the world, the attitudes you show, the style of communication, the kind of matter you post, may significantly influence how a potential recruiter views you.