Even from the most committed employees, one question comes up over and over again: where does Social Media fit into my next job search.  It might be couched in different language (How do I develop professional profile/How do I take advantage of Social tools for support, etc), but the question remains.  How can you use Social Media to find your next role?

Given the competition and the tough economy, all of the stars need to align to best give you a chance.  Test yourself: how many of these steps have you really done well?

1) Complete your LinkedIn profile:  This doesn’t just mean adding your experience, but soliciting meaningful recommendations, adding “real” connections, and using descriptive keywords so that you can be found when searched.  It also means adding a summary, education, certifications, etc.  And since LinkedIn has changed so much, even if you think that you’ve done these things, when was the last time that you really gave your profile a once-over?

2) Cleanse your social thumbprint:  Too often we don’t consider who might read our personal profiles, and whether what is posted – by us or by others – might possibly disqualify us from consideration.  Cleansing your profiles of out-of-brand pictures and inappropriate content is a great first step.  Managing your personal brand proactively and strategically is far better.  And while the privacy controls are constantly changing (and always confusing) it’s worthwhile understanding them, and also putting them to use.

3) Move from passive to active:  Before meeting with any networking contact or interview, search for the person in LinkedIn to identify the common relationships.   Instead of clicking “connect”, pick up the telephone and ask your connection about the person you are going to meet.  This will yield a significant benefit for when you meet, and will also strengthen your relationship with your connection.

4) Stay up to speed:  Keep up-to-date with the latest issues and trends in your industry, through LinkedIn groups, by following thought-leaders on Twitter (I’m at @randallcraig…), by monitoring Twitter hashtags, to participating in web discussion groups.  Nothing shouts relevance than a person who understands the issues, and their impact.

5) Strategic Status updates:  Most sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, allow a status update.  Instead of being verbose (and perhaps irrelevant), use your Tweets and Updates to showcase your value and connection.

6) Start a blog:  Your resume speaks to what you have accomplished.  A blog speaks to how you think, and allows your network to understand the depth of your expertise.  While there are downsides to a blog (time commitment, writing quality, etc), it can improve your profile significantly.  A simple blog where you write 3-4 paragraphs weekly is all that is necessary to gain these benefits.   Here’s my quick (free) course on blogging.

7) Monitor and respond:   Listen to what is happening on the web using monitoring tools including Google Alerts (for new pages on Google), and Hootsuite (for the latest status updates).  Beyond monitoring your own name, monitor for positions requiring your expertise, target companies, and key industry terminology.  Finding out what is happening in real time means that you can be the first to share that news with your network… or the interviewer.

Interestingly, the same things that will make you more valuable to another organization, will make you more valuable to your current one.  And the more valuable each person is to their current employer, the more valuable the entire organization becomes.

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