Make Social Media Work for You on the Job Hunt

The process of filling a job isn’t limited to the interview process. Today, employers are more likely to search for information potential employees online and find out first hand what the world wide web has to say about them. So for job seekers, its not only essential to ensure your Internet image mirrors your professional image, but too that you use social media tools to help you stand out from the crowd.

Jennifer Lasater, the executive director of National Career Services for Kaplan University, shares a few tips about how job searchers can use social media tools to their advantage.

Google your name

Type your name into a search engine and see what comes up in the results. It’s one of the first things an employer could do if you are a viable candidate for employment. Is there material linked to your name that isn’t the greatest? If it’s possible, correct it now before you start your job search.

Review your Facebook page

Are there questionable photos or posts that are too personal? Or is there something else on there that an employer might not be pleased to see? Correct those issues before starting your job search or consider changing your settings to make your page private.

If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, build one now.

Think about people that you’ve worked with who would recommend you on LinkedIn, and even surprise someone with a genuine recommendation that showcases their strengths on the job. Work to get recommendations up before you start your search. If you don’t want your employer to know you’re looking, you might not want to attach your resume onto your profile. It raises a red flag as LinkedIn already shares a great deal of your background information.

Think about your field and how to get more involved.

It could be beneficial to join some field-related groups within LinkedIn to build your network. Joining these groups not only expand your networking capabilities, but also expose you to some great conversations within your professional environment.

Depending on your field, there may be related organizations you can also join through Facebook, Meetup or other online groups.

Add a technological touch.

If you’re in a technology field, you might want to think about adding a QR code to your resume, suggests Lasater. QR (quick response) codes work similar to barcodes, when a potential employer scans them with the appropriate application on their mobile device, additional information, designed by and about you, appears on that device.

There are a few sites out there that will help you build a QR code based off of material that you choose—it could be your LinkedIn profile or even samples of class work or projects you’ve created that you can then attach to your resume. This code is currently being used for advertising movies, products and companies and might make you stand out from other candidates up for consideration.