Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How to use social networks to get a job

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http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-people-social-networking-computer-network-concepts-image41603635Your resume isn’t the only important document employers consider when it comes to hiring decisions. What you post on social media can help or hurt you in your quest to land a new job. Your goal should be to ensure you do what is necessary to create profiles that potential employers will appreciate on networks where you expect people in your industry to spend time.

How can you really make the most of time you spend using social media?

Identify the best networks for your industry. If you’re putting out amazing content on networks where no one will see it, the value is questionable. Identify where your network spends time online and share content there. Options include LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Periscope — the list is endless. It’s up to you to decide where you’ll find your audience.

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Create magnetic profiles. You want to attract your audience to your online profiles. What can you include in your profiles to make sure people are both drawn to it and impressed once they get there. Start by creating a LinkedIn headline with the important elements of key words and a direct pitch. Don’t use your job title!

Decide what you should post online. What do you want people to know about you and your expertise? That’s what you should share.

Be active on social media. Having a profile isn’t enough. If you want to impress and engage, you can’t have stale and dull profiles.

Showcase your critical thinking and writing skills. These are important for just about any job, and it’s easy to let people know you have this skillset.

Pay attention to what organizations that interest you post online. Follow their accounts and keep up with what they post so you can use that to your advantage.

Don’t post anything that will give employers pause. If you’re mentioning your illegal drug use, just assume you’ve missed an opportunity with most employers who notice it.

Read the entire post on Vault.com.

What do hiring managers want to know?

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Career AdviceFor job seekers, one of the most important items to identify is what hiring managers want to know. Many candidates wax eloquent about themselves, their backgrounds and experiences, but fail to identify the touch points that help indicate their qualifications for the job.

This is a big mistake. Before you apply for any position, keep the following items in mind so you’ll be sure to provide employers with the information they need to decide if you’re a good fit.

Are You Qualified for the Job?

The easiest way to answer this question is to study the job description and to directly address the employer’s needs. Do not create a resume and other marketing documents without first identifying the most important connections between you and the job. Don’t assume hiring managers will give you credit for skills you don’t list. Include details and specifics about accomplishments and results. Don’t just say you have leadership skills. Include something that resulted from your leadership. For example: “Used leadership and management skills to reorganize team, resulting in 15% increase in productivity.”

Do You Demonstrate Good Judgment?

No matter what job you land, you will represent the organization where you work. Employers want to select candidates who are least likely to do anything embarrassing. When one ill-conceived tweet or Facebook post can make the national news, it’s not surprising that employers want to know that you have good common sense. One way to illustrate you’re a good fit is to maintain professional streams of information in your social media profiles. If an employer can review your Twitter feed without any concerns, you’re a step ahead of competition.

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How Well Do You Get Along with Others?

Whether you’ll be working with a team, or connecting with clients and customers, most jobs require working with people. Hiring managers want to know you have strong communication skills and aren’t prone to too much drama. Don’t cause an employer to think otherwise during the application stage by sharing unnecessary personal information or by volunteering details about past bosses or colleagues you didn’t like.

Are You Interested in the Job?

If you’re applying for your dream job, make sure the employer understands why you are well qualified and grasps your passion for the position. While it’s great to hire someone who is a good fit, it’s even better (from the employer’s perspective) to find someone with the skills and a strong interest in the organization and its work. This is especially true for non-profit organizations, where you may have a personal interest in the mission. However, you can also demonstrate a passion about a for-profit company. For example, if you’ve always loved shopping in a particular store because of the customer service you receive there, and there’s a job opportunity that is a good fit for your skills, don’t hesitate to include a few details about your connection to the company when you apply.

How to be a resource for people in your network

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OpeningDoorsAre you a valuable networker? How can you tell? Are you willing to help people without the promise of anything in return? Do you help colleagues and new contacts open doors? If so, you’re much more likely to succeed at networking than the person who spends all of his time hoping to get something in return for a favor. One of the unwritten “networking laws” is to give without expecting anything back. Don’t make it “all about you.”

Instead of trying to win something from the people you meet, think about how you can be a “connector,” someone who makes a habit of introducing other people to each other.

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How can you become a connector?

  • Think about other people first.
  • Get out of your comfort zone. You can do this even if you are introverted or shy.
  • Meet more people! You can’t introduce people if you don’t know anyone!
  • Join organizations. Don’t join “in name only.” Get out and attend meetings.
  • Be curious and ask questions.
  • Improve your listening skills.
  • Think ahead and be strategic with your networking.
  • Be willing to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a long time.
  • Be a resource. How can you be helpful to the people you meet?
  • Follow up, or you’ll miss a lot of opportunities.

Read all of the tips to help you network better on Vault.com.

How to grow your job search network

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networkDon’t rest on your networking laurels if you’re in the market for a job — of if you are thinking of starting or growing a business. Once you identify your network, you’ll want to get to work expanding it. You never know who “knows someone who knows someone.” Everyone you meet and impress with your skills and savvy is a potential link to your next great opportunity.

Incorporate these plans into your networking:

Learn how to introduce yourself. This is more important than you may think, and you’ll want to spend time planning out your pitch so it will interest other people, not bore them to tears. (In other words, don’t plan out a two-minute elevator story. It is unlikely to amaze and impress your new contacts.)

Do not go around telling everyone you are looking for a job. No matter what your friends told you, if you focus on your status as a job seeker, people may lose interest in your story from the start.

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Be generous with your expertise and identify ways to help your network. What problems do they have that you can help solve?

Listen carefully. Don’t talk so much when you network. People appreciate a good listener. Let that be you.

Find new places to network. You can meet a new contact while in line at the post office, but it may be worth your time to target professional groups where your target audience is likely to gather.

Track your contacts. Use all the tools at your disposal so you don’t waste any opportunities. If you meet someone and never follow up, that’s a lost opportunity.

Click through for details about these topics, including specifics about how to create a great pitch, how to keep the proverbial doors open when you’re networking, details about ways to be helpful for your network, techniques to be a better listener and suggestions about how to track your contacts.

Read the entire article on Vault.com.

How to build trust at work

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TrustIf you don’t trust someone, it’s pretty difficult to work together. Imagine how challenging it would be to garner strong recommendations, let alone work promotions, if your colleagues don’t trust you.

Even if you have many skills and are extremely competent, if you’re not trustworthy, your potential for success at work is bleak, at best.

How can you win trust at work and be an ally people want to have on their teams?

  • Do what you say you will, at all costs.
  • Take responsibility for yourself, your work and your mistakes.
  • Have your colleagues’ backs. Make decisions with everyone’s interests in mind, with the goal of benefitting the team.
  • Be consistent. If you sometimes deliver on time, but sometimes flake out, assume you won’t get any credit for the times you follow through.
  • Don’t gossip. Everyone assumes a gossip will eventually be sharing salacious information about him or her next time.
  • Always do the right thing. Make choices that are the best for the team, even if they don’t serve your personal best interests.

Learn more, including research to support these suggestions, on the blog I wrote for Elevated Careers.

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