Social media has become second nature to many, and that’s not lost on employers these days. 

 

 

With more employers checking out candidates on social media than ever before, it’s imperative engineers understand the impact of social media and the impact of their communication skills online.

In fact, according to CareerBuilder's annual social media recruitment survey, 60 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, up significantly from 52 percent last year, 22 percent in 2008 and 11 percent in 2006, when the survey was first conducted. Additionally, 59 percent of hiring managers use search engines to research candidates - compared to 51 percent last year.

“Tools such as Facebook and Twitter enable employers to get a glimpse of who candidates are outside the confines of a resume or cover letter,” says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer of CareerBuilder, about the survey. “And with more and more people using social media, it's not unusual to see the usage for recruitment to grow, as well.”

With that in mind, this year’s Annual Career Planning Guide offers tips about how to effectively use and improve your communication skills in order to present yourself in the best possible light on social media, in your resume and on job boards.

 

 

How Job Searchers Can Use Social Media to Their Advantage

 

It’s safe to say many of us feel inundated with the amount of social media types that exist. With the explosion in popularity across many platforms over the last decade, it’s certainly hard to keep up with which one is the most popular, how to use each properly, etc. So, for readers’ pleasure, a breakdown of how to professionally navigate and network in the social media world follows.

LinkedIn: Since its inception, LinkedIn has been touted as a networking tool for all professionals. It does so much more! LinkedIn allows users to maintain contact with professionals they may not otherwise feel comfortable having an online relationship with. Users can share ideas with like-minded individuals by following the sites of their respective former employers and schools.

LinkedIn serves as a great accompaniment to a resume. Users can provide detailed information on LinkedIn without having to adhere to resume etiquette, e.g., trying to fit everything into two pages and the like.

The platform is also a great starting point for publishing aspirations, as any member can publish an article pertinent to her/his career field.

Finally, it can be used to search for jobs. Users can receive regular email reminders that list available positions, search for positions and post open jobs for their own companies. This website is only becoming more popular, so use it!

Pinterest: Using this professionally may not feel intuitive. Pinterest is less mainstream than some other mediums, but is popular amongst individuals looking to store visual representations of their project ideas, cooking inspirations, etc.

It’s interesting to use in that one can follow a group or person, but the favor does not have to be returned, so users can connect without reciprocity. Most Pinterest users create “boards” on their pages dedicated to decor, food/beverage, style, cleaning and other items.

Having said that, this site can also be used to procure invaluable professional information. A beginner-level user may opt to use Pinterest for professional and personal purposes. However, if a user wants to use it solely for gathering professional ideas, then it’s great for collecting field-related articles, advice and infographics. Businesses can also start Pinterest pages to help promote the goods and services they offer.

Twitter: It’s safe to say that many people use this as a way to connect with friends/groups and stay abreast of current events. Similar to Pinterest, users can follow a person or business, but the favor doesn’t have to be returned, and this does limit the ways in which a user can contact an entity she or he follows.

It’s mainly individuals that fall within the younger end of the millennial generation spectrum that use this site, but it’s becoming a popular way to connect professionally, as well. Twitter may be used to establish initial contacts, post links to field-specific articles and share or retweet valuable ideas from those one admires. This site may not score users an instant job contact, but it’s a place to start.

Facebook: This is the first site many social media consumers have ever established and it’s the one used the most broadly in terms of age groups, with it being the least popular among teens and college students.

It’s standard for it to be used to share the more personal aspects of one’s life; think photos, event invites, leisure reading, etc. This is great for wishing a friend a happy birthday or relishing in the fact that a favorite TV show has been renewed. But it can also be used to show support for admired professionals.

It allows users to like companies, groups and individuals without having to develop a more personal friend relationship. It’s important to note that hiring managers often reference a candidate’s page in making a hiring decision. Thus, being cognizant of the site’s privacy settings and using them to one’s advantage is essential. So exercise sound judgment and don’t feel obligated to friend prospective/current colleagues.

Instagram: This site is something of a photo-centric Facebook. This medium is most popular among younger millennial individuals, but may still be valuable to folks of all backgrounds. For business owners it’s a way to share what a company is accomplishing in a visual way. Like with Facebook, though, it’s essential to remain aware of privacy standards if the account is being used for personal and professional purposes.

Reddit: This site aggregates social news, offers discussion about topics and gives users the chance to rate (vote up or down) said topics. So, in thinking about way to connect with professionals and companies, think beyond LinkedIn and use as many mediums as possible! Hootsuite: And if the idea of maintaining all of these accounts is overwhelming, a service such as Hootsuite allows users to manage all accounts in one place.