I'm not a recruiter, HR executive or personal branding "expert". For most of my career I've been either a hiring manager and at times a job seeker. From that perspective I want to share with you some ideas on using social tools to rev up your job search and give you some insight from the hiring side of the desk. No discussion on this topic would be complete without a quick look at personal brand and why it matters in your job search. If you have an online presence (in other words you don't live under a rock in a dark cave somewhere) you have an online brand. It's that simple, things created digitally on the web have a life of their own and can pop up anywhere. You can delete a pic off the social site but how do you know it wasn't replicated somewhere else? You don't. If you don't monitor and manage your online brand you are taking a big risk in your job search. As a hiring manager I will at least Google your name, 100% of the time, and I suspect most companies / managers do this as a matter of course. Depending on what I find on google I also usually try MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. You'd be surprised what you can find...or maybe you wouldn't. Honestly none of these bits of info are going to tip the scale much "in" your favor but they certainly can tip it the other way. Well laid out use of social networking sites will make a positive impression, especially if they are aligned with your stated career objectives. In my current role leading IDC's software research practice certain uses of social media could in fact be very influential in getting in to speak to us, especially a well thought out and written blog.
Looking at a job search there's really 5 major phases: 1. personal branding, 2. networking, 3. prospecting, 4. interviewing and 5 negotiating / acceptance. The first two phases are really ongoing activities that you should work on all the time. I won't spend time on branding or negotiating your new position but we'll look at the other 3. Networking is a continuous activity in your career. If you think you can put your network on a self and only pull it out when you need it you're in for an ugly surprise. It takes time to build and maintain a network, if yours is fresh and well worked you can step up a job search with no time lag but if not you will have a lot of work to get yourself going. My primary networking tools are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter (they're also key parts of my branding strategy). LinkedIn is a great ongoing networking tool and I keep a very broad professional network there. Facebook I use as a blended person / business network that is more personal and genuine. I interact on Facebook much more (daily) than on LinkedIn (more like weekly). Twitter I use in combination with Facebook and also as it's own network, with a much wider reach. Networking is more than online though. I use every opportunity to meet members of my network in person and attend Tweetups, networking events, conferences, etc. as often as possible.
I also should mention that if you're trying to move your career slightly to an adjacent career path (or maybe not an adjacent path), social media can be invaluable in helping you rebrand in the different focus. Blogging about a subject can go a long way to establishing your position as knowledgeable, and help build credibility. There are other ideas around branding and changing brand that could be applied but they're outside of my topic for today (if you have questions though feel free to contact me).
Prospecting is where social media really shines as a toolset. Depending on your circumstances (out of work or looking while still employed) you can use your network in different ways. If it's important that your current employer not be aware of your search then you will have to reach out carefully to influential members of your network using LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter very selectively. LinkedIn is particularly effective for prospecting with it's tie in to companies and extended networking capabilities. It's very easy to see a job posting (or pick a company of interest) and use LinkedIn to find a way to connect with someone at the target company. The bigger your network the more likely you will be able to connect to the company in some way. If you are out of work and don't need to keep a low profile then you can be more aggressive in using your social networks, letting the network that you are looking for specific opportunities in this industry, this level, geography, etc. Don't over whelm your network, remember you get value for giving value. Help others connect and refine their own job search, for example. You can get creative but public begging does not sit well with most...use restraint but be persistent. The more specific your "ask" for help can be the better. Your reputation, if properly presented, can make people receptive...in general we like helping people out in times of need.
Networking and prospecting hopefully leads to interviews. The social web provides a great set of tools for preparing for your interview. If you don't prepare don't expect good results. Research the company, the market, competition, branding, etc. and be well versed for your interview. Always ask for the names and titles of the people you will be interviewing with and research them as well. Use the same techniques they are using to check you out and have a few topics of interest and relevant information about each interviewer. I'd be impressed, for example if you brought up something off my blog (worked into the interview in a relevant way of course) and asked a question or made an informed comment. Learn what I like and come up with a way to create a connection with me and maybe get an ally in your quest for the open position. Remember people like people that are similar to them in some way, creating a connection can be very powerful.
Follow up. Send a thank you email to the interviewers (which means you need the interviewers email addresses, remember to collect them during your interviews). Courtesy is not dead, but we are in the Internet age so snail mail follow ups are not necessary most of the time (I suppose there are some exceptions to this but I work in tech so I'm not sure). It's also reasonable to ask for a time line for additional follow up. I also welcome follow up questions from candidates if something relevant comes to mind later.
Hopefully this helps your search and as always if you have more hints to offer or have a question just put the in a comment. Happy hunting!
