Social media in the job seach

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How To Expand Your Network For Job Search Success

Networking is vital to job search success. Networking can lead to referrals, identifying jobs that aren't yet posted, and securing informational interviews. They can also lead to future professional references.

These results can give you a competitive advantage and help you progress toward your career goal. Networking platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter are tools that can help you effectively expand your network. Here's how...

Building Your Social Network

Online or offline, the goal of networking is to build relationships. Every social networking platform offers some means of connecting with new people. Interact with others and share posts that are thoughtful and relevant to your field. Engage your audience by seeking input and sharing your thoughts or review of industry-related topics.

Share these topics and post information on your own profile for your audience, but also get involved in groups on LinkedIn or chats on Twitter. There are thousands of chats and groups for a wide variety of industries, specialties, or job searching in general. Do some exploring and request to join the group or start following the Twitter chat.

In my experience, people are very receptive to newcomers on these interactive forums. These forums can be a great way to meet new people. After participating, you can begin to follow or request a connection with individual contributors. Depending on your location, there may be the possibility of meeting your connections in person. The social network is a platform to build these relationships and make that in-person connection.

It Takes Time To Build A Network

Woman builds professional network at a business networking event

Patience...patience...patience! All good things take time.

Maintain a positive attitude and be flexible. Those two skills can save you from many future career headaches. Not everyone will be willing to connect. Remember that networking is a two-way street. Prioritize your connections based on who has a job you'd love to do, or who works for one of your target employers, and focus your efforts strategically.

Always personalize connection messages to new people on sites like LinkedIn to let the potential contact know you're not arbitrarily clicking every "Connect" button in your suggested contacts. Keep connection messages brief and to the point. I'd recommend not going into personal detail this early on or putting potential connections on the spot; just invite them to be a connection or offer your email address as a point of contact.

You can say something as simple as, "Hi Jane, I've enjoyed following your contributions to XYZ Group and agreed with your review of the Acme Co article you posted. I am also a (insert job title here) and would like to connect with you. Please let me know if I can be of any help. Thanks."

A short and simple message with a personal reference and offer to help shows that you are trying to form a mutually beneficial relationship.

Gaining Credibility

Man on phone builds his professional network

By building relationships you can become a resource on certain topics for your network. Gaining credibility takes time, but let the process happen naturally. Conduct research, search for best practices, gain more experience, and get in contact with people that share their experience.

This is where actively participating in Twitter chats or LinkedIn groups can help build your knowledge. Sharing ideas with others that are passionate about their field can keep you motivated and engaged in your line of work. After developing these relationships, opportunities can arise off-screen as wellâassisting in a volunteer effort that was coordinated online or attending a networking event, speaking event, or job club that was promoted online. Read the information about the events your network is posting and try to commit to going when your schedule permits.

Impress Hiring Managers That May Google You

A recruiter on her computer does research on a potential job candidate

A hiring manager may look you up on Google at some point in the job search process. If you actively network across platforms such as LinkedIn or Twitter, or attend events in person, your Google search results page may show these stories and profiles.

Any site you join for professional networking purposes should serve as a complement to your resume. That means whether you post blogs, tweets, or share information on LinkedIn, all your content should be professional and error-free. These can validate your candidacy and make you stand out among the competition.

As you start networking, you'll learn more about your field, gain skills, and build confidence. Build relationships and help others in your search. Use social networking for job search success and foster relationships that can help you discover your next opportunity.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How To Expand Your Network For Job …

When you apply for a job, it's important to do your homework on the company so that when you get a job interview and your interviewer asks, "What is it about us that drew you to our company?" you aren't left stumped or jobless.

Not only that, but it's important to figure out if the company is a place YOU would enjoy working at. So, before you send off that resume, check out these sneaky ways to research a company:

Learn About The People Who Work At The Company

Most companies have a staff page on their website. On this page, the company will list some, if not all, of the employees at the company. Here, you can get the names (and sometimes contact information) of people who you'd be working with if you got the job.

How to learn more:

Check out their LinkedIn profile to see what kinds of work/projects they do.
Start a conversation with them.
Request an informational interview.

Warning: Don't be creepy or demanding when contacting these people! Simply reach out to them in a professional manner, introduce yourself, and tell them you're interested in learning more about the company and work environment. If they respond, go you! If not, move on and leave them alone.

Find Out What The Company Is Sharing On Social Media

Businesswoman on laptop and phone researches a company on social media

These days, everyone is on social mediaâincluding employers. Look them up on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and so on. Look closely at what they're tweeting, posting, or filming. This is a great way to get a feel for the company's values.

When browsing the social channels of companies, ask yourself these questions:

What events are they promoting?
What articles are they sharing?
How are they interacting with their followers?

Take note of anything that jumps out at you. If something fascinates you, mention it in your cover letter or interview.

See What The Employees Are Saying

Happy employees working at a company with a good workplace culture

Ever wished there was a place that rated companies based on how much people like working there? Well, now there is! Sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and Comparably are great places to learn about a potential employer and how people like working there. With these sites, individuals can comment on the company's benefits, culture, work, and more. Not only that, but they can rate a company based on how much they like working there.

You can also learn more about salary and past interviewing experiences! According to Indeed's Employer Branding Survey, 83% of job seekers say their decisions on where to apply are influenced by employer reviews.

So before you apply for a job, make sure you do your research. Doing a little research can go a long way in your job search. Don't be lazyâlearn more about your dream company now!

Need more help with your job search?

We'd love it if you signed up for Work It Daily's Event Subscription! Get your career questions answered in our next live event!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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3 Sneaky Ways To Research A Company

5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Job Search Results

By now you've probably learned that the traditional ways of job searching don't work anymore. A few years ago, you could put your resume up on multiple online job boards and wait for the phone to ring. Those days are gone.

If you want to land your dream job, you have to be proactive.

Here are five basic strategies to follow that will help you improve your job search results:

Scan Your Resume For 15 Seconds

Recruiters read hundreds of resumes on a daily basis. They only have time to skim the top of them, so if you don't give a clear message about what you can do for them, then it is not a good resume. Since this is the most important document in your career, you need to give it the attention it deserves.

Focus On The High-Return Job Efforts

Businesswoman makes a series of networking calls

Job boards have less than a 5% effectiveness rate while networking has over a 50% effectiveness rate.

Start by selecting your bucket list of companies where you would love to work. Do a company search on LinkedIn and identify the decision-makers and their staff. Then, see who you know who might know someone who can then make an introduction for you. Follow the company and connect with people on LinkedIn, join their groups and conversations, comment on their blogs, and become known.

This is how you move from a passive job search, waiting for the right job to appear on the job boards, to a proactive one where you're an active job seeker targeting the kinds of positions you really want.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

If a recruiter was searching through LinkedIn to find people for the position you are seeking, would you show up? Try it and if you are not on the first or second page, go back to your profile and optimize it with the right keywords to get yourself a higher ranking.

Review Your Online Presence

Businessman looks for a job on his laptop

Many employers will Google your name to learn more about you. Make sure you look good on LinkedIn and review your activity on Facebook, Twitter, and any other online accounts. Take down or change any comments that reflect poorly upon you. Use your own blog, online exchanges, and testimonials to showcase your professional knowledge. Your social media plays a huge role in the job search process.

Create Measurable Goals

Businesswoman looks over her job search goals for the day

Searching for a job is like any other project and you must stay disciplined, so set firm goals for yourself. For example, "I will make 10 networking calls and have two meetings per week."

Make sure you are focusing on high-impact efforts like networking versus job board submissions. Keep a record of your efforts so if an employer calls, you can quickly determine when and how they were contacted.

Need more help with your job search?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Job …

LinkedIn has made it very easy to upload your resume as a PDF to make it part of your LinkedIn profile. While it's tempting to do this rather than build a full profile from scratch, you should avoid it.

Your resume and LinkedIn profile should be treated as two separate resources for your job search. Sure they are very similar, and you should use your resume as a guide for your LinkedIn profile, but a slight separation of the two is important!

Here's why...

There Are Major Privacy Concerns

Your LinkedIn profile is fully (or at least semi-) public. Your contact information (address, phone number, email, etc.) are not necessarily public on your LinkedIn profile, but will become public if you upload your resume.

Even if you remove this private information from your resume before you upload it, by uploading your resume, you have made the resume itself public. You no longer have control. That means that anyone is free to view, copy, download, use, pirate, and distribute your resumeâall without your knowledge or consent.

Whatever information you're given by LinkedIn about views of your profile and downloads of your resume is after the factâafter your resume has been downloaded and is in the possession of someone else.

It Makes Your Job Search Public

Posting your resume on LinkedIn changes your job search from a private one to a public one. It practically screams, "I'm looking for a job!" While it helps your job search for the trusted people of your professional network to be quietly notified that you're looking for new opportunities, it does not help to announce it to the world.

Why? Because recruiters, employers, potential clients, and quality networkers are looking for top candidates. Top candidates are, by definition, people who are in demand. A top candidate, therefore, rarely "needs" a job, although he or she is open to opportunities. By publicly screaming, "I'm looking for a job!" you are simultaneously announcing that you are not a top candidate.

Your LinkedIn profile needs to showcase your value and appeal, not your (real or perceived) desperation.

It's Not The Best Way To Display Your Professional Skills

Resumes work best when they are tailored to specific job openings or employers. Posting your resume online means you have given up the chance to best present your resume to any legitimate recruiters or employers who view it. And the substance of the resume should be worked into your LinkedIn profile anyway.

Remember: if your LinkedIn profile is compelling, then a legitimate recruiter or employer surfing through LinkedIn will contact you. And then you can decide whether to provide your (targeted) resume.

So, in conclusion, posting your resume online gives you additional risk, but no reward.

Struggling to write your resume or optimize your LinkedIn profile?

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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