Social media can help influence your career and give you the boost you have been looking for. There are practical ways to incorporate an employment focus into your personal social media platforms. It is easy to view LinkedIn as a professional networking site but have you considered how Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest may impact your career?
Online Footprint
I had many college professors warn of the harm that social media may have on potential job interviews. Then I began to wonder, do employers really care about online presence? A 2016 Forbes article states, “If they see nothing or just a LinkedIn profile there will be some fear, uncertainty, and doubt.” You want to build your online footprint to help you in your career. The article, Five social media platforms that can impact your career warns, “In a recent recruiter survey, 80% of respondents said they research candidates online to both, find and eliminate them.” You want to create profiles to help recruiters know from a simple view that you are the right candidate to pursue. Employers see social media and treat it like a first impression.
Career Boost
Graduating from college and seeking out my dream career, I knew social media could help me land the perfect job. The article, How to Use Social Media in Your Career states, “LinkedIn works best when you use it as a career management tool and not just for job hunting.” Social media platforms can help with your career growth if you use the tool properly. According to a 2016 Quora article, it is important to tweet career-related news and articles rather than just using it to reply to your friends latest social event. The 140-word count does not limit you from using Twitter for professional networking. Think outside the box when it comes to social media platforms and their benefits. The article, How to Use Social Media in Your Career states, “The key is to find, approach and connect with folks you already know, folks you’d like to know and folks you should know.”
It’s all about who you know…
In today’s world where ‘friends’ can be relegated to a blip on Facebook, we cannot limit the potential for networking. According to Forbes, your social network connections may be critical even when you are not looking for work. Your network may uncover employment options you did not know existed and alert you to new opportunities. Think about how much you can grow your professional network through utilizing your online platforms.
What simple steps can you take to begin using social media to benefit your career?
The Forbes article, How Social Media Can Give Your Career A Huge Boost provides these tips:
- Use social media to showcase new projects, achievements, or awards
- Connect with others in your industry
- Utilize social media for advertising your soft skills
Social media influences our work world. It benefits us to recognize the importance of using social media to promote our personal brand. We must do so in such a way, that it not only benefits us in our relationships but also our professional networks. The posts you make today on Twitter and Facebook can impact your career in days to come. We can all boost our career with the help of building a positive online footprint.