**I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a certain topic. This month, we are talking about Social Media and our careers. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective. You can also view the other member’s interesting posts at the end of the article.
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Today it seems that everyone from your 10-year-old nephew to your Great Grandmother Mildred has at least a Facebook account filled to the brim with information that you may or may not want them, or other people from divulging – everyone, which includes the same hiring manager you sent your last resume to. Now it’s just much easier for prospective employers to Google your name and find out information about you, your family and your habits. So, what’s the best site and the best methods to keep your personal information private?
With the vast resources of personal data so readily available through social networking sites, it is very tempting for recruiters, HR managers and even yourself, to use these methods to screen prospective employees or to just find out information about an old friend. Microsoft recently released a commissioned study that shows 79% of people will look at an applicants’ online profile. Reviewing a candidates social networking site can help companies know more about how those candidates handle themselves, both personally and professionally. It can also provide information that is illegal to ask during interviews.
It’s true that in today’s world you have to be online in order to get noticed, but what sites are right for keeping your personal information private, while still giving you a measure of freedom online? The most well known sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Myspace all have their ups and downs. Myspace has virtually vanished as a peer-to-peer social media information site in favor of it’s traditional focus as being a music house for artist. Facebook has it’s many detractors thanks to gaping security holes and the ability to gleam information quickly and easily, even after that information has been deleted. Twitter doesn’t really carry the same weight as the other sites, it’s good for quick burst of information but you cannot really customize it in order to share professional information. LinkedIn is the site that many professionals think of when they are looking for another job. People post links to jobs, information about their companies and things they are looking for. If you stay diligent and become friends with people in your industry, there is no way that LinkedIn would not benefit you.
It also presents an ethical conundrum. What if an HR manager stumbles upon your Facebook page with pictures from a wild party or of your growing baby belly? Would they be more or less inclined to hire you based on what they determine online? According to Microsoft’s study, 84% believe that it is OK to use social media to gather information about a candidate.
Do you know what that means? It means you have to stay up on what you have posted online and watch anything that could prevent you from finding that job. Make sure that you pick the right social media site and use it properly. In the right hands social media can be a very powerful thing, but it can also prevent you from gaining what you want.
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Read on for more great Career Collective articles:
Make Your Career More Social: Show Up and Engage, @WalterAkana, #careercollective
You 2.0: The Brave New World of Social Media and Online Job Searches, @dawnrasmussen #careercollective
How to Get a New Job Using Social Media, @DebraWheatman #careercollective
Social Media: Choosing, Using, and Confusing, @ErinKennedyCPRW #careercollective
How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search, @heatherhuhman #careercollective
Updating: A Social Media Strategy For Job Search, @TimsStrategy #careercollective
Your Career Needs Social Media – Get Started, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland #careercollective
We Get By With a Little Recs from Our Friends, @chandlee #careercollective
Expat Careers & Social Media: Social Media is Potentially 6 Times more Influential than a CV or Resume, @expatcoachmegan #careercollective
Social-Media Tools and Resources to Maximize Your Personalized Job Search, @KatCareerGal #careercollective
Job Search and Social Media: A Collective Approach, @careersherpa #careercollective
How Having Your Own Website Helps You, @keppie_careers #careercollective
Social Media: So what’s the point?, @DawnBugni #CareerCollective
Tools that change your world, @WorkWithIllness #CareerCollective
HOW TO: Meet People IRL via LinkedIn, @AvidCareerist #CareerCollective
Effective Web 2.0 Job Search: Top 5 Secrets, @resumeservice #CareerCollective
Jumping Into the Social Media Sea @ValueIntoWords #CareerCollective
Sink or Swim in Social Media, @KCCareerCoach #CareerCollective
Social Media Primer for Job Seekers, @LaurieBerenson #CareerCollective
Face-to-face networking is incredibly important, and if you know your way around, then you have a distinct advantage over much of your competition. You’re making a serious mistake if you do not have a social media presence or if you skip social media sites all together.
If you’ve neglected to create a social media presence, especially on LinkedIn, then you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to find open positions. Targeted, extensive networking is still the number one way to find a job, to achieve this you need to have a complete and up to date profile on several social media sites.
The reason social media is so important is because 83% of employers look to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter when looking for new hires. 89% rely exclusively on LinkedIn to fill their empty positions. So if you’re not using social media, then your chances of getting a job are seriously diminished.
Without a solid social media presence on LinkedIn, you make it much harder for HR managers who are looking for you specific skill set to actually find you. Employers will also review your social media sites to examine more information after they have received your resume. So you have to take the necessary steps to stand out and never put a bad face forward.
Here are some tips for putting the right social media face first:
1. Think of your online profile as your brand.
Identify your abilities that set you apart from other applicants. You should define the areas where you excel, and always make a solid case for the value that you bring to a prospective employer.
2. Use your online profile to showcase your skill set.
On Facebook and LinkedIn, there is a headline below where you put your name. This is an incredible important part of your branding, you need to put something with keywords HR mangers will instantly gravitate to. Your headline should show a range of what you are capable of doing.
3. Position yourself as the expert in your field.
Include searchable keywords in your social media profile so that HR mangers can see your in depth experience and talents. Employers will often look through social media sites in search of a fit for a specific problem, if you have your expertise highlighted, then you may be the one they’re looking for. This makes it much easier for them to find you.
4. Clear up any discrepancies between your resume and your social media profiles.
Make sure your dates of employment, job titles and other extended details match your resume. HR managers will not contact prospects who have inconsistencies on their resume and social media profile.
5. Join Facebook or LinkedIn groups that are associated with your field.
Who knows, by commenting on a group post or by offering your advanced knowledge, you could attract someone looking for your particular talents. Answering questions in these groups is an excellent way to attract attention to yourself, just make sure you approach groups with the correct mindset, you’re trying to garner the right attention. So make sure you know what you’re talking about.
Is your current contract about to end? Do you have options once it ends? Everybody has things that they believe will happen, but are those options realistic? If not, then you should start to develop some specific options and have them available by a certain date. Your contract is ending so you need multiple options in case one, or all of them, falls apart.
Your career obviously has options if you’re working on a contract basis, so start searching for the options that fit with your skill set. How many working professionals actually have a clear-cut set path that they would like to follow? How many options do your coworkers have after their job ends?
If you do not have any options once your contract ends, then you need to start developing some career options quick.
Why do you need career options? The job market is tough, but there are still other things that you can do to broaden your horizons. When you have a long-term contract it seems like you don’t need a long list of options, but if you’re working on short-term jobs, then you always have to keep an eye open for something new.
Your career is like a long winding road trip. You may not know the destination but you know where you started from, you know where you want to go, sure there may be detours along the way, but eventually you will want to have a clear destination. If you don’t have all of your options mapped out, then that should be your top goal. So, what are some of your options after your short-term job ends?
1. You could get another short-term contract
If you’ve always had short stays at companies for contract work, then you might be more comfortable working in this manner. This can be a great way to make money and still have your freedom…if you have the stomach for it. And sometimes it can be hard to find another job if your contract ends quickly.
2. Go for a long-term company
If you’re tired of looking for work every 6 months, then why not find a traditional 9 to 5 job? Depending on your chosen field, you could have many different options in a lot of different companies. If you have an accounting degree you’re basically set to work at any company, as long as they need someone to do their taxes, then you’re their person.
3. Try a different profession
What if you feel stagnant during your current work? It doesn’t mean you have to swear off that type of work forever, but you might want to consider a change of scenery. Moving to a different position within your short-term contract employer may provide other options.
4. Extending your contract
If you and your contract employer have a solid working relationship and you like where you’re at, then why not stay there? They obviously could use your talents, so talk to the HR manager about what can be done.
In order to advance your career and get your job search back on track, there are a few things that you must do correctly. As a job seeker, finding a job should be your full-time job. Many people work tirelessly to find a job, but they keep coming up short, so today we’re going to have a look at the 5 reasons that your job search is still going and why you’re not getting the response that you feel you should. If you find yourself doing any of the following, then today is a great day to take action.
1. You do not make your job search personal
What this means is that you’re still sending out generic resumes with no target. Instead, get personal. Find the names of HR Managers, company directors or anyone involved in the hiring at the company. Then you send them a personalized note with your custom made resume to their company explaining your desired position and how you could help the company.
2. You are looking in the same place as everyone else
One thing you have to keep in mind is that there are a lot of unemployed people right now. Many of these people will be looking in the exact same field, geographical area or they have the same skill level as yourself. One way around this is to find opportunities through networking, online job searches and by using job boards to find hidden career options. If everyone is looking in the same place, it will only drown out your voice. Be different and look at all of your options.
3. You believe every word you hear about the recession
If you think everyone is living hand to mouth, then you are very mistaken. America has a lot of opportunity for people who are willing to look. Yes, it’s tougher than usual, but not impossible to find a job that suits you. Take a few minutes to review the positive aspects and reduce your stress level. An open mind will lead towards an open job.
4. Poor email etiquette
Every time there is a job fair, we see this problem emerge. People do not read their emails and proof them, but you can bet that your prospective employer is reviewing every little detail about your resume. Misuse the word “your” in place of “you’re” and it’s a dead giveaway that you did not proof your email. Another way that people send out poorly written or constructed emails is if they do not have a subject, have a subject line that reads, “have a look at my resume” or poorly written opening lines in the email. Try to show a little patience and take some time to review your emails before you send them.
5. You’re not as productive as you believe
Sending out a few resumes during the morning and then taking the rest of the day to watch some TV is not a productive job search. Get into the habit of diligently looking for a job. Make yourself a schedule and stick to it. All you have is you. So, work hard and you will find the right career for you.
Finding employment can be tough, many people have been out of work at one point in their lives, but that doesn’t mean that you have to get down on yourself. Losing your job can be crushing, you have to deal with the loss of income, health insurance and the pain of rejection. If you find a job quickly those feelings soon pass, but if your job search drags out it can leave you strained.
The hardest part of being out of work for a long period of time is keeping that positive attitude, especially when the job search turns into months and years. You have to keep a positive attitude for your own sanity and to make a good impression with potential employment opportunities. Here are some helpful ideas for those job search warriors out there trying to keep their chin up.
- Find something to do with your time, being a job hunting warrior isn’t about making the quick easy kill, if you want to have a good job that you will enjoy, then you need to do something that will occupy your time while you hunt. A hobby like an eBay store is a great way to expand your skills while still earning some money.
- Take some time and do the things you would not normally be able to do. Spend some time with your kids or take a trip that you’ve always wanted (if you have the money).
- Help out with the household chores. Just do something that will take your mind off of the hunt and recharge your batteries long enough for you to regain focus. You have to be mentally and physically prepared if you’re going to get back into the swing of things.
- Learn a new skill. Take up sewing or start playing badminton, anything you can do to relieve the stress of looking for a job. Pacing yourself for the job hunt is important because you can burn out by focusing all of your energy into that one thing.
- Update your resume. There’s no time like the present to start developing a new resume, now you can put some of those new skills that you’ve acquired on that and showcase what you’ve learned during your job hunt. A job hunting support group isn’t a bad idea either. There you can share your experience with other people and do some networking while you’re at it. These groups are here to help people, so take advantage of the opportunities you have.
- Enjoy your day. Most wary warriors like to focus their job search efforts during the day when most people are at work but that doesn’t mean you have to spend all your day looking for work. Take a second to go outside and enjoy the air or read a book that you’ve always wanted to. Just do what you can to recharge during this down period because you’ll need it once the night job hunt is on.
People have been fired over what they’ve said in blog posts or on social media sites. Sharing confidential information or making negative comments about a business have cost many employees their jobs. Some employees have even been fired over making positive comments about their company. What is grounds for termination in the cyber-world and how can social media affect your job search?
Can having a personal blog, professional blog or social media account impact your job search? It most certainly could and probably will. If you post about how you conduct yourself in interviews or if you post about how you embellish your resume, potential employers will be able to see it. You want to have a profile that does not scream “bad employee” and that could be anything from bragging about excessive drinking to how you steal notepads from work.
Is it alright for prospective employers to be reading your blog or social media account? Perhaps not, but, when you post something on the Internet, it’s there for anyone to see, no matter what their motives might be. Some people, who have taken extra steps with their job search, will list their personal site or social media address on their resumes. Again, you should only do this if there is nothing you want to keep from a prospective employer on your site. Who hasn’t Googled someone they were interested in? Well, HR managers do the same thing with prospective employees.
If you have it on your resume, then the employer will definitely look at it. Most hiring managers will look at a prospect’s website if they list it. Others will try to find out as much personal information as they can. This is not the days of “3 references” anymore, now your 3 references are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
If your blog is hidden or private and people in the office or a hiring manager finds out your identity, they can still look up sensitive information about you. They certainly won’t mind reading it, so don’t put anything negative about current coworkers or any past employers you have had.
Once again, do not include a link on your resume to your social media site or personal website if it contains anything that might be damaging to your job search. Always be careful about what you put online. If you have a social media account, people will probably have no problem reading it, after all, you put your information out there, so it’s public domain now. Even if you think only your friends can access it, you still have to take caution and be proactive about what you put out.
If you’re unemployed, consider putting together a website or social media site that’s specifically related to your job search. You can position yourself as an expert in your field. Attach samples of your resume, portfolio or any certifications you have.
People are searching, so when they find you, what do you want them to see?
**I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a certain topic. This month, we are talking about changing careers. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective. You can also view the other member’s interesting posts at the end of the article.
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It used to be that people would stay at the same job for years. But now, it’s not the same job market, not the same companies and certainly not the same employees. People leave for all sorts of reasons, they either want a change of scenery or they leave to make more money. Companies can let go of employees for any reason too, you can go from being ‘Employee-of-the-Month’ one minute to receiving your pink slip the next. Employers don’t have loyalty to their employees, so employees are looking to better their situation by changing careers or by finding new employment.
Today, a career jump is often needed to generate an increase in income. There is a dark side to changing jobs so you have to be cautious when doing so. Besides, can changing your career improve your situation? Everybody needs some advice from time to time, so what are some ways that changing your career can benefit you?
1. Do you have a reason to change?
The best advice is to look before you leap. Do some research over the company you’re considering and see if their organizational structure aligns with your career goals. This is a big decision in life, so you want to have the proper perspective before you make a decision. If your current situation is not prosperous, then do what you can to find a better situation for yourself, just make sure that it’s the right situation.
2. The lack of knowledge or experience
Without the right amount of experience and knowledge in your new field, a potential career change could be a big mistake. But, if you’re fortunate enough to find an HR manager who wants to see what you can do, then be prepared to dazzle your new employer. If you don’t show that you can step up and provide what they’re looking for, then your new career might just flop. You should educate yourself on your new position and find out as much as you can on the industry. Just be prepared.
3. Is the money right?
Don’t sleep on the thought of earning more money. Money can be an excellent motivational tool but if it’s the sole reason for your career change, you could miss out on the bigger picture. Your quality of life will not determine your overall job satisfaction, so make sure you know what you want when you decide.
4. Don’t go for the new hot industry
Because it could be over before it starts. Remember the Dot.com crash, same thing, if you choose an industry that has seen tremendous growth in a short time, and you think “Now’s the time to cash in”, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Just beware the peaks and valleys of new industry.
5. Narrow your focus
Find something that you would love to do. Don’t be overly ambitious or fearful of change – but make sure that you know what you want to do. Many people never consider the jobs that they may be qualified for in a parallel industry, so see what options you have before you do a complete 180º.
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Read other posts on this topic from members of the Career Collective:
Are You Ready for a Career Change? @Debra Wheatman
Changing Careers? Ask yourself these questions. @erinkennedycprw
Changing Careers: Not for the Fainthearted, @GayleHoward
Career Change Isn’t An Exact Science, @careersherpa
The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, @KatCareerGal
When it’s Time to Recycle Your Career, @WalterAkana
Best Career Change Advice: Target & Plan, @JobHuntOrg
How social media can help you change careers, @keppie_careers
Expat Careers: You Are Not Your Job Title, @expatcoachmegan
Changing The Direction Of Your Career, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland
Career Changer: Can You Quell Bottom-line Ache? @ValueIntoWords
Top 3 + 1 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change, @KCCareerCoach
Changing Careers: Look Before You Leap, @barbarasafani
10 Commandments for Career Changers, @LaurieBerenson
Everyone has an email address– or if they don’t then they are seriously lacking the skills necessary to find a job. Most people only have one email address they use for everything and a lot of the time they have had that address since they were younger. This might not be a bad thing if your address is based on your name, but if you have an email address like: partyanimal69@’madeupaddress’.com or sexykit10@thisaddress.com, then you probably need to create a separate email account just for your job search.
Typically, your email address will be the first thing that a prospective employer will see when you send them your resume. You email address should be as professional as it can be. Instead of having biglarr@’madeupaddress’.com, you should use a variation of your name. It’s much more professional and it won’t have a negative impact on your chances of getting the position. Some hiring managers won’t even look at a resume if it comes in with a novelty email address. Do you think that a hiring manager would be interested in adding someone who does not present a professional demeanor?
One thing you definitely need to do is create a new professional email address. It’s easy to sign up and get a free email address. You could create your email address based on your name, but if you have a creative profession, you could do a play off of that. But, you don’t want to over do it. If your email address based on your name is taken, then try a last name, first name combination. If this is taken then you can add a number to the end of it. The most important thing is to create an email address that will get you through to the hiring manager. There are thousands of email combinations that you can create, you just want one that will not raise a flag with the HR manager.
Another thing HR managers hate is when they get a resume from a work related email address. This shows the HR manager that at your current employer, you’re not fulfilling your job requirements. Actions like these will definitely raise the red flag when an HR manager sees this. Who knows, they could have worked at your employer before and still know people there. Imagine the problems that could come when they get in touch with your HR manager about you sending out resumes on company time. This could put you current position in jeopardy and affect your ability to find a new job. You never know if they will not take offer you the job because they believe that you might do the same thing to them.
You should set-up an email address that’s professional and will not get you blacklisted by the HR department. It’s a tough job market out there, and everyone needs that extra little edge.
