I referred to this Forbes slideshow for tips and tricks as well added some of my own thoughts.
1. Develop relevant and current profiles. Take the time to create profiles in LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook that showcase your skills, abilities, accomplishments, and work experience. Think of these profiles as living and breathing resumes.
2. Do your research. If you are interested in a particular employer, take the time to research them. Find them on LinkedIn and like their pages. Follow them on Twitter if possible to be aware of their current events.
3. Network. This time you are networking in a virtual arena rather than meeting potential employers face-to-face. Following groups online that share your similar professional interests can benefit you in the long run. "Introduce" yourself to forums and communities that align with your career goals.
4. Be connected. Sometimes employers tend to ask questions based on current events in your field. Subscribe to feeds that keep you informed and relevant in your profession. To avoid being caught off guard make it a point to learn something new on a regular basis.
5. Be consistent. Building in a social platform does not guarantee traffic. You need to promote yourself consistently on different platforms to keep yourself relevant. Sometimes it is difficult to build a schedule around social media but make an effort to be present on these platforms and participate in active conversations.
Have I missed anything?
Can some current professionals in the business share some of their tips and tricks in using social media ?
Julie, I really like all of these concepts for social media leverage. From here it's a question of how the different profiles, networks and platforms can be used together to create a wide base for recruiters to find you. For instance, #1 and #4 are very likely to be intertwined as a potential employer uses one profile to make their way to another on a different site.
ReplyDeleteHi Doug,
DeleteYou bring up a good point. There should not be a silo structure, where all these platforms work separately but rather they should be formed in such a way that they complement one another and ultimately deliver the same message.
I am in the same situation now. Thank you for such a great list of the to-dos!
ReplyDeleteThank you Varby for reading my post. Glad to hear that someone is also in the same situation. Will you be looking for employment here or in Kazakhstan?
DeleteThanks for asking, Shiba Inu Owner.
DeleteI am looking for a job in Kazakhstan now. Instructional Designer is a rare position in my country, but I am full of hopes :)
What about your employment plans? I remember you were interested in the organization where you do your internship.
I think with your background you will not have a problem finding what you are looking for. :)
DeleteYes, I currently am pursuing a position at the organization. However, I am open to new job opportunities.
Thanks for the tips, Shiba Inu Owner. I will use them as a stepping stone to building my own professional development networks. I must admit that I am hesitant to use Facebook for professional development purposes, as I only use it to stay in touch with friends and family. I'll need to do some more research and think about it.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment. I, too, only use Facebook as a way to stay in touch with family and friends. I would much rather leverage LinkedIn as the platform that will host my professional image. It was just a suggestion using Facebook from the source that I reference.
DeleteI don't have any tips or tricks for you, as I only just started this program, but I did want to comment on how interesting I find it that we are just now starting to utilize the internet and it's resources to promote ourselves professionally, especially considering how much the internet has evolved the current workplace! I know that for BFA and MFA graduates, having a website as a e-portfolio is an absolute necessity, so why not everyone have their own website? I'm just curious as to why this is just now gaining traction :)
ReplyDeleteShannon,
DeleteThat is a very good question that your raise. I wonder if these platforms needed to be around for a long time before they could be given credibility? Just like any new technology, we have the people that jump at the chance to use it but ultimately it takes a little longer for the rest of us to actually implement it. It is called the technology adoption lifecycle.
Thanks for the info - I had no idea there was a name for it :)
DeleteShiba Inu Owner, Great topic for a blog and I like how you substantiated it with the Forbes post. Unlike you, I'm just starting my education. I almost feel like I'm at an advantage being able to use the social networks you mention to build my professional image and learn from others prior to actually having to look for a job. It seems like "now a days" formal and informal education need to develop concurrently.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
DeleteI agree with your point that formal and informal education need to be developed concurrently. I wonder if there is a way our program can implement a workshop that can be held on a monthly basis, where these types of tools are explored? It is a shame that I did not take this class sooner. Also, it should be made a requirement in our program.
Great list of ideas! Maybe another one would be to attend conferences in the field. This would be face-to-face networking, but you could also direct traffic to your social media sites via a business card or something. I know that after I worked a conference, I was much more likely to go through business cards than look at a bunch of resumes.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts?
Hi germangirl.fsu,
DeleteI find that conferences in our field are imperative. I had attended the FSU ISD conference last year and I remember distinctly going through business cards and researching the people I met on LinkedIn. It was a wonderful way to branch out and include others in my professional network. Conferences do direct traffic to social media sites. All the more reason to work on those sites if you are expecting traffic.
Hey Shiba Inu Owner - Don't forget that your university's career center might have more resources / information on leveraging social media for professional development purposes. For example, the career center at my alma mater put together a guide for their students (http://www.sa.miami.edu/toppel/mainsite/Students/Resources/SocialMediaandYou.aspx) Yours might have something similar. You never know until you ask!
ReplyDelete-V.
Thank you for the tip! I will contact my career center for more information.
DeleteGreat List! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would add to it a suggestion to be aware that your Facebook postings could influence your potential employment. Political views, beliefs, your position toward different social groups, all of those are the factors that could affect your chances to be hired.
Thank you Vladimir! Very true concern.
Delete