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04.28.09 Finding A Job Through Social Media Avenues  By Erin Groner As you may know, Ignite Social Media is a close knit group who has grown rather quickly in the last year. Since I started, the agency has doubled and we're still growing. In that time, we have chosen carefully to ensure we're getting people that are the perfect fit for each opening and it hasn't been easy. I know that when I get a huge batch of resumes there must be someone in the lot that could do the job at hand, but none stand out and I still struggle to pull a few decent options out of the mix. Getting a job is about marketing yourself successfully, which is more important than ever as the applicant pool begins to swell in this economy. So, with that in mind, I figured I'd share my advice for getting a job using social media. Start with the PEOPLE you are trying to reach • Have you looked up the company online? - Do they have a website and have you taken the time to really immerse yourself in the information they are putting out there for you to find? • Do they have a blog? - If not, does their website have a voice or personality you can identify with? Do they have a mission statement or other content that can clue you in to their way of thinking? • Are your future co-workers online? - Where are they talking and interacting? What are they talking about? • "Interview" them - Back in the old days (like 2 years ago) it was customary to ask during an interview what the culture was like around the office. The initial interview was as much you interviewing the company as them interviewing you. These days, you can learn more about the personalities of your future coworkers online than you could ever get out of a 30-minute interview, so use this time to decide how you fit in the mix and whether you really want to work with these people.
Define your OBJECTIVES Okay, your main objective is easy to identify - Get a job - but now that we've gotten the duh! answer out of the way you should probably take it step-by-step so you have some milestones that you can feel good about meeting. My suggestions: • Get noticed- It's not about what you know, it's about who you know. You need someone on the inside who knows your name and will recognize your face when your resume comes in. Just being able to put a face with a name is enough to get you recognized above many of the other applicants. • Get an interview - Getting someone to want to talk to you is key. You can't be pushy. Instead, you have to draw them into a conversation. • Get a call back* • Get the job* • Become invaluable* *You're on your own for the last three - not much social media can do to help you present yourself better in person. Develop a STRATEGY It shouldn't matter whether you're marketing yourself or some fancy new product, using social media or not, your strategies should always align with your objectives. Since this is the most difficult part of the process I'll take you through my thoughts on developing a solid strategy for meeting the first, and most important, of the milestones outlined above: Getting noticed. Continue reading this article. About the Author: Erin Groner is a contributing writer and Project Manager for IgniteSocialMedia.com. |
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