nov 2011 using social media to find a job

How to use social media in job searchHow to use social

media in job search

Laurie Dillon-Schalk, Director of Digital Strategy, JWT.

Updated November 2011

© Laurie Dillon-Schalk 20092

Agenda

IntroductionsA) Using Social Media in your Job Search

– The power of social media and its impact on networking– What top social media tools recruiters use– What makes some job seekers stand out among a crowd

B) A live demo on creating a powerful Linkedin profile

Questions & Answers – thru-out & at end of session


What is social media?

Wikipedia:

“social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content…. transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many)”

Simplified – there are many types of social medias:

Social Networking Sites

Media Sites Social Bookmarking

Blogs & Podcasts

Wikis & Communities

Micro-blogging

Facebook

Linkedin

Myspace

Youtube

Flickr

Picasa

Delicious

Digg

StumbleUpon

Wordpress

Typepad

Itunes podcasts

Wikipedia

Ideajams

Twitter

Modified from BigBig design’s classification, Cynthia Closkey’s Six Types of Social Media Sites


Social Networking refers to the sites that allow easy connection between people.

Other people around the world

Other co-workers around the world

Other co-workers in your country

Co-Workers

Friends

YouJimMary

Your manager

Jim’s manager

Susan

JohnHelen

Roberto

Akira

Chris

Peter

Frequent e-mails

Infrequent e-mails

Social Media

Aaron Kim, formerly IBM, Social Tagging and Folksonomy SummitJune 14-15, 2006 Southbury, CT


In Canada, social networks have incredibly large audiences.

5

Facebook: 4 / 5 internet users visit per month

Linkedin (light blue): 1 / 5 internet users visit every month


So.. How did we get here? Laurie’s history lesson…


Its 2005: Blogs emerge, the internet is used everyday and for major decisions

Over 79% of US adults using the internet with 44% of adults using the internet everyday

45% claim the internet helped them make major decisions

– Training for a career

– Help with a major illness or medical condition

– Choose a school or college for yourself or child

– Find a new place to live

– Change jobs

Why is the internet used? Because users can connect with other people for advise or sharing valuable experience.

Horrigan, John and Lee Raine. The Internet’s Growing Role in Life’s Major Moments. Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 19, 2006, http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/The-Internets-Growing-Role-in-Lifes-Major-Moments.aspx, accessed on June 23, 2009.

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/The-Internets-Growing-Role-in-Lifes-Major-Moments.aspx


Its 2005: Blogs begin impacting businesses and industries

“[Blogs are].. simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they're going to shake up just about every business -- including yours.” - Stephen Baker and Heather Green, “Blogs will change your business”, Business week, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm, published on May 2, 2005

Within 1 hr of the London bombings, there were more than 1300 blog posts on the event – prompting the BBC to admit

“ We don’t own the news any more”

- Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC World Service and Global News Division. October 2005.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm


Now its 2006 - 8 -- So what’s happening in the market that is contributing to social media rising in its importance?

E-mail Overload -- “E-mail has become the bane of some people’s professional lives” – Michael Arrington, Founder of TechCrunch, Quoted in NY Times April 20 , 2008

– Social Networking Sites (SNS) offer protected email. The lack of spam and fewer messages mean that messages are more likely to be read.

Old media trust issues: Levels of trust are highest for consumer recommendations and opinions and for online medias (websites and email) and lower for newspapers, magazines, tv, radio, etc.


In 2009, social media REVOLUTIONIZED the world of recruiting

Better recruits: Employers are more satisfied with the quality of candidates from employee referrals and social networks than those from job boards.

Cheaper: Social Networks are cheaper than large placement firms.

Faster: Social Networks streamline the process – making it faster to placement.

Consider - some say that the future of hiring will be that companies only hire someone who can be referred.


Now in 2011, recruiters are specific and picky.

Hardest jobs to fill 2011


If you are not using social networking to find a job, you are making hard for recruiters to FIND YOU.

Please note – all of the above social networking tools are free to join and use.


Recruiters primarily use Linkedin.


Linkedin’s Recruiting Trends Survey, 2011 for Canada.


Are you socially savvy?

Social Networks Does it include

Are you on Facebook? • Photo up, privacy settings set to friends only

• 35+ contacts (avg. 220)

• Fan of 2+ corporate facebook pages

• Management of your personal brand? No sounding off on fan pages.

Are you on Linkedin? • Profile is 100% complete

• Min 50+ contacts

• Min 4 recommendations (from at least two recent jobs)

• Comment on network updates

• Belong to 3+ groups

• Privacy settings – open

• Vanity URL – on your business card?

Are you googleable? (I can find you)

• Top page results (put your name in “”)

• You manage your personal brand [all positive]

• You have google alerts for things to follow


Are you socially savvy?Social Networks Does it include

Do you have a twitter account? (and use it)

• Tweet minimum once every two days

• Have a good retweet (RT) ratio (eg 6:1)

• You now use twitter list to segment the followers

• Is @ address part of your contact information?

Do you read blogs? • Read and have an RSS feeder.

• Comment on blogs?

Do you have a blog? • Post at least twice a month?

• Trackbacks, statistics, widgets

Do you have a smartphone? • Access the internet with your mobile

• You use popular applications like ‘foursquare’

Do you have an ipod? Itunes? • Download podcasts

Do you watch online videos? • Search youtube like you do google


Personal Branding


Personal Branding – taking care in how you present yourself

Marketing = what you say

and do

Branding: As perceived by me.

Hmm.. Excellent painter but

what’s with the ear?


Top 3 things that make hiring managers dismiss a candidate based on what they find on google or facebook:

41% of candidates posted information about them drinking or using drugs

40% of candidates posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information

29% of candidates had poor communication skills

Survey by Careerbuilder.com, surveying 3,169 hiring mgrs – June 2008

http://sev.prnewswire.com/workforce-management/20080910/AQW02510092008-1.html


What to say on Linkedin if you are unemployed or laid off?

Deborah Jacobs, Forbes Senior Editor advises:

“I am currently looking for new opportunities in a couple of specific functions and industries.”

Recruiters routinely comb LinkedIn for people who are out of work; it saves them the trouble of having to convince someone who is currently employed to switch jobs. So it’s to your benefit to indicate that you’re open to new opportunities.

Use active verbs, amply convey your responsibilities, and show results

Get recommendations from your current or most relevant jobs that reflect varying perspectives — for example from a manager, a colleague and a client.


Four things for you to do:

1. Google and Bing yourself.• Put your name in “quotations”• Search up to 4 pages deep• Search for your images• Remove tags on unwanted

photos in facebook.

2. Create a one line bio• This is not your title but a line

that describes you


Four things for you to do:

3. Get your digital photo UP!Use a personal photo, crop it close and turn it into black & white to make it more professional looking.

4. Personalize all messages Remind people how you know them, ask about them or give a reason to connect

This is the standard message! Change it!


Watch-outs Do not provide your full birthday

nor social insurance number online.

E.g. either leave the birthday blank on facebook and linkedin or do not add your year of birth.

Fraud jobs might ask for a job application including social insurance numbers prior to interviews.

Do not agree to any elaborate payment schemes e.g. cashing cheques on behalf of companies. (this is mostly from craigslist… when in doubt, google the text from your email.)


How it can work: I’m not special!!! This is happening to people who know how to use Social Networking Sites

235 followers

124 friends

218 connections

Noticed an old friend got a new job. Commented on his status. Led to lunch. He suggests a job opportunity not available on job boards.

A connection of a connection notices my profile (online bio), sent me a message & wants to collaborate on business, coffee meeting is next week.

Headhunter found my profile, called me for a job not posted on a board

I answered a question, person who asked it liked my answer and wants to stay connected based on subject matter expertise

Friends with my university pals. One of them needs freelance help on a large quote to the government. Asked for my resume.

Staying connected with ex-ibmers. One of which passed a contract to me, and another passed this speaking opportunity.

Nothing yet – but reconnected with people I worked with but didn’t have a huge relationship with.

Meeting people all over the world. Global connections

And more…

nov 2011 using social media to find a job

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