Dream Job? Using Social Media?
Video Transcript
Julissa: Separate, okay.
Ryan: This one you make public, so that way people can come in and see the things you’ve done, things you’re interested in. And again, you can kind of curate this a little bit. So that way, it doesn’t show the bad stuff, right?
Julissa: Right, right, right.
Ryan: So, the next thing you wanna do is… We looked at the best places to work in Sacramento, and said, “Well, where would we wanna work?” And I thought, “You know what a cool place to work at would be? Would be a place called Big Hairy Dog.” Big Hairy Dog! I wanna work here, right?
Julissa: What do they do?
Ryan: Well, they’re a POS provider. What they do is they do technical support for POS systems, so when you buy something at a store.
Julissa: Yeah.
Ryan: But I love the name Big Hairy Dog!
Julissa: Big Hairy Dog! I mean, who wouldn’t wanna work…
Ryan: I know!
Julissa: “I work at Big Hairy Dog.”
Ryan: So, what I did is I looked them up on Facebook and I said, “Check this out.” This is a company with some personality. They have Formal Friday.
Julissa: Oh my god.
Ryan: How cool is that? You come to work in your formal attire.
Julissa: Okay, that’s awesome. We need Formal Friday. That’s awesome. Casual Friday is so 2016.
Ryan: So, here’s what you do is, just like you would if anybody you wanna know on social media, you start following them. You make comments to their blog posts. Don’t get freaky. Don’t say a bunch of weird stuff. But if they say something you like, like Formal Fridays, you say, “Hey, I wanna do something like that.” And you start to get into their ecosystem. Then, what you do is… This is another company called Robert Half International, here in Sacramento. If you wanted to go work for them, they’re one of the best companies to work for in Sacramento, just go to Twitter and look up…just do a search for “Robert Half International,” these three dudes work there. And check them out, these are pretty powerful guys. Managing director…
Julissa: Right, International Operations.
Ryan: You got the International Operations guy.
Julissa: Executive Director, okay.
Ryan: Yeah.
Julissa: All right.
Ryan: So, you look them up, just DM them directly on Twitter and say, “Hey, I’m looking for a job. I see that you do this kind of thing, and I’m really interested.”
Julissa: I’m telling you.
Ryan: “What can I do to help you?”
Julissa: Social media, it’s a whole different world, right?
Ryan: Yeah.
Julissa: It can sure help you out, land that new job. Ryan, thank you so much. You’re sticking around next hour.
Ryan: Yes.
Julissa: What are we talking about?
Ryan: International travel.
Julissa: Oh!
Ryan: How to make it better.
Julissa: Okay.
Ryan: So last time we did tips from a travel blogger, but this time, we’re gonna talk about international travel.
Julissa: I like that.
Ryan: And how to make it so much easier.
Julissa: It’s summertime, let’s get outta town. Let’s get outta town.
Ryan: Let’s do it. Let’s go to Italy.
Julissa: Okay.
Ryan: Okay.
Julissa: I’m game. All right, back over to you.
Marianne: All right. Thanks, guys.
Facebook and Instagram are good for more than just trolling your old high school crush and laughing at silly memes.
These days, you can use social media to shop, watch the news, and even land your dream job.
All you have to do is follow these 5 simple steps and you’ll be well on your way to scoring your dream job.
Step 1: Establish Your Social Brand
Like you, most employers are on social media.
Besides utilizing these platforms as a means to connect with their customers, your potential boss and the HR department will look you up on social media behind the scenes.
When they type in your name, you definitely don’t want them to see something like this:
Here’s what you can do to avoid situations like this:
- Review all your social profiles
Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram (or all of them), make sure your social media represents your “best self.”
Remove or hide (make private) any image that is not professional.
Also, check your posts, status updates, and comments for grammatical errors. Bad writing skills or obvious spelling mistakes is not acceptable.
Make sure the “persona” your profile presents actually matches the requirements of your desired job.
One good alternative is to create a public profile geared entirely toward your job hunt, while making all other profiles private. This will let potential employers see and peruse the profile you WANT them to see.
- Keep your profile up to date
No one likes to see a empty or dead profile.
Make it a point to remain active on social media and always include your current contact information and profile picture.
If you really want to control the message, you can create a brand around your name.
Buy a domain name around your first and last name. For example, ryaneldridge.tv
When potential hiring managers search for you, they’ll see your site first.
Once you’ve purchased a domain, you can build up your site. If you are somewhat technically savvy and up for figuring out a new tool, use WordPress.
There’s an abundance of professional-looking free themes to choose from.
There are a wealth of plugins available for this widely-used platform, so that you can easily integrate with social media and even eCommerce software.
However, some may find the initial learning curve to get their site set up and formatted a bit steep.
If WordPress is too complicated, use a plug & play template from Squarespace for $12/month.
It’s a more drag and drop approach to website design, but you’ll need to budget for the monthly fee.
Step 2: Search in the Right Places
94% of companies use social media at some point in their hiring process.
In other words, it’s imperative for you to follow the companies you want to work for on social channels, especially LinkedIn.
Be on the lookout for connections you can leverage to get your foot in the door.
Step 3: Avoid Scams
Unfortunately, social media is rife with scammers.
Be alert and watchful of these red flags:
- Promises top pay for entry-level or “no skills required” position
- Requires you pay upfront for training, certification, inventory or materials
- Offers of “exclusive government jobs” listings/placement
- Work from home, personal shopper and online billing jobs
Not all will raise as obvious warning bells as this one:
Step 4: Make Connections
Following your dream company is great, but you also need to engage them.
Search out industry leaders and the executives in the area of the company you’re most interested in. Follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Make yourself visible to the executive team behind social media accounts.
You can do this by commenting on the content they post, engaging in discussions, and attending community and charity events advertised.
This helps you become a ‘familiar face’ when you submit your application.
Step 5: Turn Your Online Connection Into A Real-Life Interview
Be diligent and persistent – not annoying.
Getting an interview might take months (or even years) but remain polite and patient.
Hard work never goes unrewarded. If you put in the effort on social media, you could be rewarded with your dream job.
Like This? We have more!
Sign up below to be kept in the loop and be sent more content like this in the future!
About The Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer repair company that specializes in on-site and online service for homes and businesses. Andrea is the writer of a weekly column, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She prepares TV segments for and appears regularly on CBS, CW and FOX on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, More Good Day Portland, and CBS 13 News, offering viewers technology and lifestyle tips. See Andrea in action at callnerds.com/andrea/.
