Using Social Media to Enhance Your Career Prospects
by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing ConsultantSocial media has been a world-changing phenomenon. Before
Facebook’s founding in 2004 there was the likes of Bebo, Faceparty, and MySpace.
However, the last 10 years have seen a huge spike in both users of social media
and reasons for using it. In 2019, there were 3.486
billion active users on social media, equating to nearly half of the entire
population having a social media presence. This was up by nine per cent since
January 2018. But, with a lot of the world currently on lockdown due to the
Covid-19 outbreak, the time we spend on social media is likely to soar in the
coming months.
This could be a great opportunity to use social media to
enhance your career prospects — especially when 91
per cent of employers use social media for recruitment. Here, we take a
look at some of the most popular platforms and how they can help you progress in
your working life.
LinkedIn
This platform was launched on 5th May 2003, making
it older than both Facebook and Twitter. Its primary purpose is to provide
networking on a professional level. It even has different areas of the site,
such as LinkedIn Premium accounts for business, career, sales, and hiring, to
help you connect with people who can help you on your work journey. Last year,
there were 20 million
companies on the platform and 14 million open jobs.
LinkedIn also enables you to get ‘headhunted’ by recruiters.
Many recruitment agencies use the platform as a means to identify people who
would be a good ‘fit’ for an opportunity they may have. You can increase your
chances of being noticed by seeking endorsements from colleagues or clients in
the same way that you would put a reference on your CV. You can also set your
status to ‘actively looking for work’, while its ‘Jobs’ section provides job
alerts, job search, and salary checker facilities.
Be sure to keep posting insightful comments and correctly
using hashtags to get your posts trending in front of more potential suitors.
Instragram
A popular Instagram account is a must-have for influencers.
The image sharing app was launched in 2010 and has over 500
million daily users. Influencers and even the likes of ski instructors
could find that building a portfolio can significantly boost their career
prospects.
For personal trainers and ski instructors, having a great
portfolio of images and client reviews can help people build confidence in your
work and ability, which will increase your chances of getting chosen as an
instructor. Of course, it’s not enough to just have a great visual portfolio, it
goes without saying that ski instructor courses
or specific industry qualifications are a must.
Make sure you only post appropriate content on your account
and mix it up between leisure and work focused images. Your future employers
often look at every social account you have, so leaving them with the
impression that you’re approachable as well as knowledgeable is important.
Twitter
Set up in March 2006, Twitter soon become a huge hit with
the public. There are currently over 330 million active
monthly users, with almost a third of these being between the ages of 35
and 65.
If you’re a freelancer across any field, showcasing your
skillset can put you in front of a huge audience. Think of your name as a
brand. Make sure you’re engaging with your target audience and use hashtags
correctly - and not too much! Images are also a great way to bring attention to
your work.
While Twitter doesn’t have a built-in jobs board, there are
many accounts which share relevant jobs. Be sure to follow them and keep an eye
on their posts. Also, include your Twitter handle on your CV to let companies
get to know your personality. If you’re doing this, make sure you have been
creative and used your Twitter bio wisely.
Facebook
Since Mark Zuckerberg unleashed his creation onto the wider
world in 2004, it’s become the most popular across the globe. With its ‘jobs on
Facebook’ feature, there is now a chance not just to interact with your peers,
but to search for your ideal role while doing so.
However, be aware of what you post – and this includes your
profile picture. Studies have shown that this image can affect your job
prospects when potential employees conduct a background check. Make sure you fill out the ‘work and
education’ section of your profile fully as this can work as a mini CV. Your
life events timeline is another factor in which to ensure you spend the
appropriate time completing.
It’s crucial that you use all your accounts in a
professional manner. Not doing so can make your employers, or future employers
view you in a negative light. In recent years, several sports stars have found
themselves in hot water because of the social posts. Israel Folau was sacked
from the Australian rugby union team in May 2019 following a homophobic
post on Instagram. However, away from the limelight, social media posts are
deterring many companies from potential suitors, with derogatory comments
deemed potentially harmful to the brand as well as the individual in question.
Away from your own social media presence, these platforms are
also a great way for you to research a company. Companies will often post any
accolades, events or upcoming events on their pages in the hope that it gains
valuable user interaction. If you have an interview for a job, simply putting
time aside to scroll their social accounts could land you the vital information
you need to impress during your discussion.
So, it’s evident that social media is here and here to stay.
Use it wisely and it can be a great tool in enhancing your career.
Sources
https://www.linkedin-makeover.com/2014/05/06/linkedin-start-date/
https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/
https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/7-tips-on-effectively-using-twitter-for-your-career
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Created on Apr 8th 2020 07:10. Viewed 569 times.