Using Social Media to Your Advantage

With so much praise surrounding the newly released film The Social Network and the overwhelming possibilities of communication that has ensued from the popularity of the site, more employers than ever are jumping on the social media wave carrying their business into the twenty-first century. Facebook, the social network that has taken us by storm, is a great way to get the name of one’s business out there in to the public forum, as well as a source for future employees (aka you and I) should take advantage of for networking, finding available jobs, and hopefully getting hired. These simple guidelines to help tailor your Facebook page to look professional should help any fellow college student or young adult preparing for employment.

• Tailor your biography to be specifically about what kind of job you are seeking.
• List related skills that will help you in the job market when describing yourself.
• Delete unprofessional/indecent pictures, or make sure your account settings are set on ‘private’ for your photos.
• Your main photo showing, or your ‘profile picture’ should be a professional, yet memorable head shot…smiling always helps!
• Do not include information like your home address or telephone number…that is what your resume is for.
• Keep all information short and to the point.

After your profile is web ready, start researching different companies and organizations through the search engine and make contact with them. ‘Like’ their page, learn about the company’s history and future goals, and use their contact information listed to get in touch with a representative of the company for further details about hiring.

Additionally, multiple sites of social media connections will further help your chances of finding employers and being noticed by them. Being familiar and utilizing other sites such as LinkedIn,Twitter, Blogspot, and other common interest pages, allow employers to see that you are capable of mass forms of social media communication. Furthermore, being able to have familiarity with these sites allows you to list them under related or other skills on your resume; employers will see that they are capable of expanding their business name and advertising across multiple sites of social media with your help! So start your social media networking today!

Caitlin Coffee ‘11