Social Media's Role in Job Search

The following is an excerpt from the book Cut the Crap, Get a Job! a New Job Search Process for a New Era. I will be running a series of excerpts from this book over the next several weeks.

I found this chapter particularly interesting since it deals with the emerging and growing impact that social media has on job search. As all those looking for jobs try and figure out what works best in social media, I hope this excerpt helps.

True story: As a job search and career expert, I was skeptical about all of these social media tools as recently as four years ago. I separated professional networking from social networking and felt that the social sites were a waste of time. All of that was flawed. So, as a complete convert and now raving fan of social media for job search and career growth, here is a summary.

Job seekers can no longer ignore their online presence. Additionally, there are brand new ways to use Social Media to enhance and accelerate your job search. “Social recruiting” is evolving and improving rapidly, so jump in NOW, because the only way to learn about it is to do it. Manage your expectations, as well. Social media is simply another element of your job search “mix.” Social media connections are not a quick fix, but neither are job boards.

Benefits of Social Media to Job Seekers:

• Be found. Social networking is simply preferred by recruiters and employers as a tool to acquire talent.
• Identify and contact hiring managers.
• Market and sell yourself and put yourself in front of many people.
• Collect great research in preparation for an application or interview.
• Social media enables you to develop a stronger network that can help you with your career as well as your next job search.

Benefits of Social Media to Hiring Managers and Recruiters: How many hiring managers browse social media profiles, and what type of information are they hunting?

A nationwide survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com from February 9 to March 2, 2012 included more than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes. 37% use social networking sites to research job candidates.

What are hiring managers looking for on social media? Hiring managers are using social media to evaluate candidates’ character and personality outside the confines of the traditional interview process. When asked why they use social networks to conduct background research, hiring managers stated the following:

• 65%—To see if the candidate presents himself/herself
• 51%—To see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture
• 45%—To learn more about the candidate’s qualifications
• 35%—To see if the candidate is well-rounded
• 12%—To look for reasons not to hire the candidate

Is social media helping or hurting job candidates? A third (34%) of hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate. That content ranges from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:

• 49%—Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/ info
• 45%—There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs
• 35%—Candidate had poor communication skills
• 33%—Candidate bad-mouthed previous employer
• 28%—Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.
• 22%—Candidate lied about qualifications

Employers are also looking for information that could potentially give a job seeker an advantage. 3 in 10 hiring managers (29%) said they have found something that caused them to hire a candidate, citing content that showed them the following:

• 58%—Good feel for candidate’s personality
• 55%—Conveyed a professional image
• 54%—Background information supported professional qualifications
• 51%—Well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests
• 49%—Great communication skills
• 44%—Candidate was creative
• 34%—Other people posted great references about the candidate

Where are employers going to research job candidates?

• 65% are going to Facebook
• 63% are going to LinkedIn
• 16% to Twitter
• 17% to “other”

However, research by JobVite.com uncovers that the increase in social media use for recruiting is a direct result of the number of quality candidates seen from social channels. The Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2012 was conducted online between May and June 2012. Over 1,000 people across the globe completed the survey in response to an email invitation sent to a registered list of human resources and recruiting professionals.

• 92% of respondents use or plan to use social media for recruiting, an increase of almost ten percent from the 83% using social recruiting in 2010.
• 73% have successfully hired a candidate through social networks, making social recruiting a highly effective source of quality new hires.
• A large majority of recruiters (71%) consider themselves savvy in social recruiting, having a sizeable understanding of what to look for in social profiles.
• 49% of recruiters who implemented social recruiting saw an increase in the quantity of candidates, and 43% noted a surge in the quality of candidates.
• 89% have made a hire through LinkedIn, 26% through Facebook, and 15% through Twitter.
• 86% of recruiters are likely to look at social profiles, and poor spelling and profanity make a bad impression to a majority of recruiters.

The following are the top three most important tools within social media that you need to have completed to compete in today’s new era of job search (and why each is important):

• LinkedIn - Visibility, company job postings, research. If you are not here, you don’t exist for many recruiters and hiring companies.
• Twitter - Research, job leads, learning from others.
• Facebook - Visibility. Recruiters use the friend-finding search feature.

Solution

A. LinkedIn—LinkedIn offers the broadest array of resources to further your career. Whether you are looking for your first job, are considering changing careers, or want to move into a more senior position, LinkedIn can help you achieve it. How?

• Finding companies that hire people like you: Search using your own skills as the keywords and specify your geography.
• Finding work at a specific company: You can become instantly updated when a job opening comes up at one of your target companies. Search within your own network, as well as browsing your contact’s network.
• Develop human resources, recruiting, and hiring manager contacts.
• Advanced search features will save you time and deliver the best information to you.

B. Twitter—Twitter gives you free information about people, organizations, and job listings. You can be an observant follower and still reap many benefits.

• Start to Follow People and Organizations: Following someone on Twitter simply means receiving their posts, which are called “tweets.” Every time the person posts a new message, it appears on your homepage in real time. To start the process, use the search function to find people or organizations you want to follow. Once you find them, click on the “Follow” button and you will begin instantly receiving their updates. The best part about Twitter is that you don’t need to get the person’s permission. Anyone on Twitter can follow any person or organization. As an example, follow me by typing my name in the search bar and clicking “Follow.”
• Follow People and Organizations: Begin by following organizations you are interested in pursuing. Next, follow employees in your target companies. The information you receive will be valuable in helping you research the culture and mission of an organization.
• Job Listings: An easy way to search for openings is to use the hash tag sign, or what some people refer to as the pound sign, which is the # symbol. The hash tag is Twitter’s filing system. For example, if you search #Seattle and #jobs, you will find tweets for openings in Seattle.

C. Facebook—One of the reasons Facebook is important as a job search tool is because every business and brand that knows the power of the web is already there. Recruiters
are also scouring Facebook for candidates.

• Search: When you search for a particular term on Facebook, you can narrow it down to people, pages, groups, links, etc., which gives you wide range of options as to who to network with and reach out to. For instance, if you are looking for jobs related to “architecture,” you can simply search for that term and connect with people in that particular field. You can search for people who are architects, join groups and pages, or simply find links that have the term “architecture” in them. This allows you to connect with like-minded people and build a relationship with them, which can help you find a job later.
• Facebook Pages and Groups: These features allow you to join a group of people with similar interests, provide an opportunity for you to learn more about a company, and connect with recruiters via Facebook. The first rule of job hunting is to let others know that you are available.
• Facebook Applications: There are some really good applications for job hunters on Facebook that allow you to get more out of Facebook and other job search sites. Log in to Facebook, click on “Profile,” type the application name in the search box, then follow the instructions to install. Or, visit the Facebook Application Directory and search using “job search,” “career,” or “jobs” as keywords. You will find BeKnown, BranchOut, CareerBuilder Facebook App, CareerFriend Facebook App, Hire My Friend, and more.
• Facebook Pages: Many organizations use Facebook Pages to promote their brands to potential candidates. Not only do they post open jobs there, but these pages are often maintained by various members of their recruiting organization.

Tricks

1 LinkedIn Tricks

• Apply the principles of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or keywords.
• Use first-person and your credentials will be more exciting than a résumé.
• Focus on the last 10-15 years.
• Assure “Contact Settings” are working to your advantage.
• Adjust your “Settings/Privacy Controls” so not everybody has to see every time you build a new relationship or connect with a recruiter.
• Set a “LinkedIn time” an hour a week or more. Make connections, research.
• Follow target companies and connect with employees. Click the “Follow” button and, on a weekly basis, monitor their updates. Many companies also have a separate tab that says “Careers” or “Employee Insights,” both of which are very helpful in terms of finding recruitment contacts and hearing more information about hiring at that company. Many even post the actual job listings.
• Begin your involvement with a LinkedIn Group by commenting constructively on a discussion topic. Or start a discussion if you need help.
• Pay attention to LinkedIn Group members. Don’t be shy to click on the profiles of people who contribute. They might turn out to be new connections for you, for info interviews or maybe more.

2 Twitter Tricks

• Tweetdeck.com easily organizes your hash tags and searches into one console that you personalize. This is the website I open up every morning.
• Twellow.com searches people’s bios and URLs on their bios. For example, if you do a search on <your target company>, a company you would love to work for, then you can see how many of their employees are on Twitter.

3 Facebook Tricks

• If you wouldn’t say something in front of a crowd of 300 million in the real world, you should not to do it online either.
• Narrow down as much as possible based on your field of expertise. If you are an architect, you can use the search feature to find pages and groups that are created for architects.
• If unemployed, frequently post status updates relating to your job search to keep it top of mind that you are still looking for a job. Say things like, “I had a great interview this morning... keep your fingers crossed!” or, “I have a networking meeting later today with a company I’m really interested in!”

Comments

[T]

I hate this. Why even have an account when it can be used against you in so many different ways?

I have an extremely basic linkedin profile that has my name on it and job titles and that is all. All other "social networking" I do online is not attached to my name or email.

[Alex]

Interesting post!

While social networking can be precarious (as T commented above), it can also be beneficial. I have colleagues who reach out to me via LinkedIn for recommendations, and I've been pleased to be able to endorse/support them as they move on to new endeavors.

For some jobs it's more important than others, of course. My husband works in PR/Communications where it's HUGELY important to have a social media presence. In my job, less so, although still helpful.

[Paul]

I found the groups may be the most useful part of linkedin. You should give those a try for your field.

[Apex]

Landlords are looking too. We appreciate any information you freely display on your social media sites. It is a very helpful screening tool.

[Nick @ ayoungpro.com]

Social media can provide a huge boost or a huge drain on your job search! For Millennials like me, it is very important to have a strong online presence that reflects well on you!