- In today’s jobs market, the challenge is to find different ways to stand out from the competition.
- As more and more companies use social media when recruiting candidates, it has never been more important to put your best foot forward online
- Using social media when job hunting lets you show your tech skills and thought leadership, and allows employers to find you right away
Finding a job and advancing your career in the digital age is a daunting task for anyone. With increasing competition for positions, social media has emerged as the new battleground for jobs, with more and more hiring managers and employment agencies scouring social networks like LinkedIn and even Facebook to look for talents. In fact, according to Staff.com, 92 percent of companies use social media in their recruiting efforts.
If you’re still hesitant to include social media in your job search efforts, here a few reasons to help you make up your mind.
It Shows Your Tech Skills
Aside from the obvious convenience of communicating on a network like LinkedIn, social media is also a test of a candidate’s tech skills and familiarity with new technologies. This is your chance to show the hiring manager or recruiter you know your way around social media—a must if the job you’re applying to requires online communications.
You Can Show Thought Leadership on Social Media
Maintaining a blog or even using social media as a way to offer commentary on industry issues and news can be a way to get hired for a position. Writing a blog and following other blogs can be a cost-efficient way to build thought leadership and reach out to other bloggers who can offer a path to the virtual doors of employers.
It Lets Potential Employers Vet You
For better or worse, hiring managers and recruiters will look for you on social media as part of their background checks. You can either make it harder for them to find you (delaying an interview in the process) by hiding or put your best foot forward on social media with a profile with curated posts.
Research an Employer’s Company Culture
Remember, social media can go both ways. You can use your Facebook or LinkedIn profile to tell recruiters and hiring managers what you do and what your preferences are. At the same time, you can look up a potential employer’s social media profiles to understand their company culture.
This will give you an advantage when writing your cover letter or talking to a hiring manager in an interview. By doing your homework, you’ll know the company’s quirks and how to mesh with their team.
Are you looking for a new IT career?
Follow these tips to increase your chances of success in your next job interview. If you need help looking for jobs in the IT and tech industry, The Crevalle Group can connect you with our network of local tech employers to shorten your search. Head over to our careers page for a listing of tech positions.