How Social Media Can Help your Job Hunt

A recent article from Forbes outlines social media tips that could potentially help you in your job hunt. According to the article, two-thirds of adult internet users are taking advantage of social networking sites, which is more than double that reported using these sites in 2008. Below I have listed some of the tips the article's writer, Kerry Hannon, explains about how older adults especially can utilize these social media outlets to the best of their ability.

• LinkedIn. With a harsh job market, LinkedIn is a great way for companies to post a job they need to fill, while acting as a landscape for you to build an active professional network. You are able to stay very close to your connections by joining groups, posting discussions or even writing updates that can get posted directly to your Twitter. You can research companies that interest you, and have the option of uploading your resume for companies to review. Another useful aspect comes when former employers can write a brief recommendation for you as a resource for potential employers.
• Twitter. Not only can you easily create discussions with other job-hunters, but you can also research different companies and get to know them better by reading what they post. There are many accounts that deal exclusively with posting job and internship positions that you can follow to get the latest openings.
  
• Virtual chats. Another way to connect with potential employers or fellow job-seekers is with virtual chats. Examples of these on Twitter are using the hashtag #jobhuntchat or #careerchat. They provide you with information about trends in employment, networking with recruiters and job openings.
• Virtual job fairs. Just by typing this in to any search engine, you can come up with internet job fairs where major companies are in attendance. These could last a few hours, or even a month-long depending on the host. Just like the chats, they are a great way to reach out to recruiters and obtain useful career information.
  
• Professional email. While it may seem simple, it will be very helpful to you if you have an email with just your first and last name. This way, in an employer's inbox they will be able to identify you quickly and clearly without having to decipher who "doglover245@yahoo.com" is.

How do you use social media to find jobs or internships? To read the full article, click here.