A quick introduction to social media
Let’s be honest. Most students know how to use social media but here is a quick fact file on “the big three.”
Facebook: With over 800 million active users, Facebook is 5 times bigger than any other social network. Primarily used to maintain contact with friends and stay in the social loop.
Twitter: A conversational platform used by 175 million. Twitter resembles public text messaging system. The latest news and trends can be found here as users report directly on location.
LinkedIn: Considered the definitive professional networking site by 135 million users. It’s the place to be to showcase your talents, network with other individuals and research companies.
Tips to use social media to find a job
Twitter
Let’s begin with Twitter. I have found that by following certain individuals, I’ve become aware of opportunities that I wouldn’t have even caught wind of had I not been active online. These include internships at Channel 4 and SKY.
You see, a lot of employment comes about as a result of your connections (they call it “networking” in the business world). It’s about who you know, how you know them and if you don’t know anyone, find someone who knows the right somebody (you get the gist.)
Now twitter appears on many corporation websites as most of them have an online presence on various social media sites. Many organisations use Twitter, from AT&T to New Look fashion store and even the unlikely, U.S Chamber of Commerce.
Select the organisations you fancy and make a Twitter List, this will help to keep an eye on all of them. Alternatively use hash tags to help locate specific interests.
Facebook
Although Facebook may not be your first stop when trying to apply for a job, there are some organisations that use Facebook as a means to interact with potential employees.
My friends set up a business recently, making African styled accessories. It’s called NyDesigns. In need of a website, they used Facebook as well as other avenues to try and find someone who was skilled in web design. “We’re currently working on a site now and to be honest, we wouldn’t have got this far without the use of Facebook”
If you do want to use your Facebook account as a way of connecting with potential employers, it could be wise to remove any drunken pictures of yourself passed out naked in the street. That usually doesn’t get a good reaction.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is probably the most important form of social media that can prove to be very useful in getting a job. This is very much a professional online environment compared to websites such a Facebook and the now relatively ‘old school’, MySpace.
My lecturer Ola Ogunyemi actually told me that he personally uses LinkedIn to expand his already existing network of professionals. “It helps to increase the opportunities”
LinkedIn allows you to upload your CV and other skills and so can act as a tool to advertise yourself. This makes it easier for employers to find the skills they require in you. To add to this, it also suggests jobs that might be applicable to you.
Social media has been embraced by some organisations and detested by others. It may be wise to spend 15 minutes in between uploading last night’s photos or tweeting about your extreme procrastination, to see what you can access employment-wise on these websites.
