Why use social media to advance your career prospects - CareerEnlightenment.com

Why use social media to advance your career prospects Even in countries where employment rates are high, finding a well-paid job is not easy. One job ad can easilyattract hundreds of applicants. So, to land a job, you need to be able to stand out from the crowd.The personal touch still worksOne approach that can still work is going door to door to see if local employers are looking for someone. The personal touch still works. If you get to speak to the person responsible for hiring and make a good first impression they will remember you.When they have a vacancy, there is always a chance that they will think of you and get in touch before advertising the job.  The only problem with this approach is that keep out and warning  signs  like these ones  are becoming increasingly common.  Businesses are far moresecurity-consciousthan they used to be. So, quite a few of them now put up signage on their gates and doors advising people not to enter or ring their bell.If you see a sign like that, it is important that you heed the warning or instr uction. In many states, failure to do so could end up with the business owner calling the police.Clearly, that is not the impression you want to make.Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to make potential employers aware ofwhat you could bring to their business. A good place to start is social media.The fact that it is so widely used means thata lot of potential employers look at social mediawhen hiring. They use it in different ways.Let people know you are looking for workGo through each of your social media accounts and change your status to job-seeker. This lets everyone know you are in the market and avoids confusion.   Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Tidy upyour profilesGo through each of your accounts and make sure there is nothing controversial on your timeli ne, page, boardor other medium. You want to make sure you are seen in the best light possible. If you are in any doubt whatsoever, bin it.Use social media to networkIf there are firms or individuals you are interested in working for, or with, network with them. Go onto Twitter, re-tweet and comment. Do the same on their other social platforms. If you can, get involved in their projects and support their charity efforts.On other platforms like Facebook and Instagram, do the same. Share interesting articles and videos that relate directly to the work you do. Leave insightful comments on industry-related pages and boards. The more you network the better.Use social media to prepare for the interviewstageThis is also a great way to get up to date with what is going on in your industry. Anything you find out has the potential to come inhandy at the interview stage.Take a look at LinkedInLinkedIn  is not strictly speaking social media.  The owners of  LinkedIn  call it a professional netwo rk and that is a fairly good description. If you are a professional, it really is worth setting up and keeping your LinkedIn page up to date. Many employers still look there when they want to find out more about a candidate.They do so to see what skills others say you have and to see, in more detail, where your career has taken you. For certain professions, writing and uploading a few articles can also be a good idea.But, be sure to put your best foot forward. Really work on them. Make sure they are well-written, factually correct, informative and non-controversial. Before you publish, re-read your articles and try to put yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer. Doing this will help you to get the tone right.The above are just a few suggestions.Be creative and come up with your own ideas to maximize your efforts.