I have a confession to make – I didn’t apply for my job at Belle. It’s not that I wasn’t looking (I was!), but more and more employers are strategically *not* announcing or posting they’re hiring.
Here’s a secret – employers hate reviewing cover letters and resumes in employee searches almost as much as you hate writing them. It’s difficult for potential employees to express how perfect they are for a position in about 400 words, just like it’s difficult for a business to get a feel for the potential new hire. Not to mention, setting up interviews and meeting lots of potential candidates is time consuming, especially for startups and small businesses.
Knowing this, Belle’s CEO, Kate, made the decision to publicly announce the she was looking to add to the team, but search for a new team member within her own network. (She talks about this a little in my Q&A here). She reached out to contacts and set up interviews while doing her own research on social media – it was on Twitter that she happened upon my profile (it didn’t hurt that my twitter feed has pictures of my adorable new puppy on it!).
I had followed both Kate and Belle Communications when I moved to Columbus, trying to get a sense of the Columbus PR scene, and because I loved the culture Belle represented. After reading through my tweets and eventually finding me on LinkedIn, Kate reached out and introduced herself. Within four days, we met for an interview. The following Friday, I had a job offer in hand.
I know what you’re thinking – this doesn’t happen in real life. Let me tell you, I was as surprised as you. This wasn’t the first time good things had happened to me on Twitter (a few years ago, a stranger found me on Twitter after finding my lost wallet on a train and overnighted it back to me, but that’s neither here nor there), but it’s the first time I actually realized people know what they’re talking about when it comes to networking and representing yourself on social media.
I’ll be honest, I’m not going to tell you what *not* to put on your social media accounts. There are thousands of articles, blog posts, and HR manager surveys on that already. So, what should be on your social media accounts when you job search, and, preferably, all the time?
Job Hunting and Social Media: Tips to Make Yourself Stand Out
- Tweet about your industry – Show potential employers that you care about what you do and you pay attention to what’s going on in your industry. Tweet out articles that you find interesting, comment on news stories, add your own thoughts to the conversation with a blog post or share an inspirational photo.
- Tweet about yourself – It’s still your social media account. Show that you have personality beyond work! Talk about your pets, Instagram your food (unless you take photos like Martha Stewart … then don’t) and mention your favorite shows or books! (Maybe avoid adding those drunk pictures from the bar last week, though.)
- #HumbleBrag – This goes back to tweeting about your industry and yourself. If you work in PR, for instance, and you get a huge hit for a client, talk about it! You earned it, so show the link, take a screenshot and don’t forget to add it to your LinkedIn profile – they have the nifty tool to add media to your account for a reason. Make your social media accounts interactive, allowing people to actually get a sense of your work style and what you’re proud of.
- Above all … Interact! – Follow companies you want to work for, follow their employees, follow influencers you respect, follow individuals you’ve done business with and people with whom you want to connect. You never know what people will tweet out that they’re looking for. Like a tweet? Retweet it, add your own comment, or reply back to them! Make an impression.
There you have it. The easiest job application ever, and you should already have the tools! Have a social media job search experience of your own? I’d love to hear it!
