Job Search in Social Networking Sites

Leveraging Social Networking Sites
for
Job Opportunities

A guide to help job seekers and career–oriented youth

Presented By : Praveen K Panjiar

Email : witszen@gmail.com

Website : www.witszen.com

Leveraging Social Networking Sites for Job Opportunities

Table of Content
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................2

Social Networking Sites for Job Search .............................................................................................................3

Use the Top Social Networking Sites ............................................................................................................3

Create Online Profiles and Build a Brand ....................................................................................................3

How to Use LinkedIn for Job Search .................................................................................................................5

How to Use Facebook for Job Search.................................................................................................................7

Facebook Search...............................................................................................................................................7

Facebook Pages and Groups ..........................................................................................................................7

Facebook Applications ....................................................................................................................................8

Facebook Marketplace ....................................................................................................................................8

Ways to Adjust Privacy Settings in Facebook..............................................................................................8

How to Use Twitter for Job Search ..................................................................................................................10

@Microjobs .................................................................................................................................................10

TweetMyJobs .............................................................................................................................................10

Keep tweets professional ..............................................................................................................................10

Have daily routine for tweeting ..................................................................................................................11

Participate in chats using hashtags to get advice and be noticed ...........................................................11

Meet your network by attending Tweetups ..............................................................................................11

Follow Twitter Lists before you follow other Twitter users ....................................................................11

Follow Twitter accounts that post job openings........................................................................................12

Privacy Issues .....................................................................................................................................................13

10 don'ts for job hunters................................................................................................................................13

Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................................................14

Position Yourself for Social Media Success ................................................................................................14

Networking Before You Need To ................................................................................................................14

Growing Your Network................................................................................................................................14

Resources.............................................................................................................................................................15

© 2011 WITS ZEN Page 1


Introduction
Looking for a job is challenging, especially in the current economy. Finding the “right” job
or the “right” person for an open job remains a challenge for job seekers and HR managers,
respectively.

Job seekers in the 21st century get ahead by sifting through the job listings on general sites as
well as online listings from potential employers in a specific field of employment.

Professional networking becomes easier with the increasing use of social networking sites,
and innovative social networking applications and tools provide a major platform for
professional networking, with potential candidates using friends and colleagues as
resources in a job search.

Social Networking is one of the most important components of job searching. Social
networking sites like Twitter and Facebook can help you find a job and connect with people
who can assist you with growing your career.

Now-a –days, everyone is using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to network - both for
personal and professional reasons.

Job seekers with robust LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profiles have better access to job
opportunities at growing companies than candidates whose job searches don't include active
social networking profiles.

A large majority of companies are moving away from job boards and toward social media as
their primary recruiting tool, according to Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2010, an annual
survey results based on an online survey taken by 600 participants between May and
June,2010. The Survey found:

- 83% of respondents use or plan to start using social networks for recruiting this year.
LinkedIn (78%), Facebook (55%) and Twitter (45%) are the most popular social recruiting
channels, while MySpace is used by just 5% of respondents.

-Companies decrease spending on more expensive recruiting channels, like job boards and
third party recruiters or search firms:

• 46% of respondents plan to spend more on social recruiting in 2010 than 2009
• 36% will spend less on job boards and 38% will spend less on third party recruiters and
search firms
• For candidate quality, respondents rated social networks significantly higher than job boards
who landed in last place; while referrals were the most highly rated for quality

-Among the 70% of companies actively hiring, the use of social networks for recruiting is
even more pronounced:

• 92% of those actively hiring in 2010 currently use or plan to recruit via social networks
• Of this group, 86% use LinkedIn, 60% use Facebook and 50% use Twitter for recruiting
• In addition, 50% of hiring companies plan to invest more in social recruiting while only 17%
will spend more on job boards and 36% will spend less



Social media profiles are important in the hunt for finding and hiring new talent. More than
80% of respondents review social profiles at least sometimes -- almost 1/3 always review
them; but 69% of candidates don't share their account information when applying.

This large disparity between candidates disclosing their social network presence and
recruiters reviewing their online profiles indicates job seekers should be more aware of the
influence their profiles could have and leverage them in their job hunting.

So, social network recruiting has become a mainstream channel for employers who need
access to talent. In fact, these days recruiters and hiring managers are using social media
online tools to screen potential employees. That means job seekers need to hone their social
media skills and post their experience on social networking sites, since hiring managers are
using the Internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills,
accomplishments and overall fit within the company.

Are you prepared for companies and recruiters to find you on all these social media sites? If
not, you should be. You should use these social and professional networking sites to
enhance your career and boost your job search. Profiles showing a professional image and
solid references can boost your chances for a job.

Social Networking Sites for Job Search
Learn the art how to use social networking sites to job search.

Use the Top Social Networking Sites

Top social networking sites like Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter can help you find a job and
connect with people who can assist you with growing your career.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is, without question, the best professional networking site on the web. It presents a
unique opportunity for employers to weed candidates. It provides the potential employers
and HR managers to take note of job seekers who have a compelling summary, excellent
recommendations and membership in industry groups.

Facebook
It’s a common best practice in business to “hire for attitude, train for skill.” And if ever there
was a place to gauge attitude online, it’s Facebook. It’s a huge site with over 500 million
users gives employees the platform to show up their activities and attitudes, and recruiters.
But, be careful about the information you are sharing. It can make or mar your chances of
employment prospects.

Twitter
A presence on Twitter isn't absolutely necessary, but it can help with your job search and
there are employers using it to source candidates.

Create Online Profiles and Build a Brand



When you're looking for a job or positioning yourself for career growth, it's important to
have an online presence where you can showcase your skills and experience. Your online
profiles will also help you connect with contacts who can expedite your job search and assist
you with moving up the career ladder.

Create your online profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Be sure to actively manage
your profiles so they are up-to-date. Employers and contacts want to see current
information.



How to Use LinkedIn for Job Search
• Create a Profile. Create a detailed profile on LinkedIn, including employment
(current and past), education, industry, and web sites. Be sure that your profile is up-
to-date with your latest work information and you have a well-written summary that
touches on your experience, interests, and where you’d like to go.

o Ensure your profile is complete and up-to-date.

o Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities
through LinkedIn!

• Consider a Photo. You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or upload a
larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile.

• Keywords and Skills. Include all your resume keywords and skills in your profile,
so your profile will be found. One of the most common ways that recruiters and
hiring managers search for job candidates is by entering relevant keywords into
LinkedIn’s search engine. In order to show up in these searches, your profile has to
contain the right keywords for the position you want.

o How to find these keywords: To find these magic words, research the profiles of
people who have the job you want as well as the job listings for the positions you
desire. What words show up the most frequently in both places? These are
probably some of the keywords recruiters are using.

o For example, if you are interested in a job selling advertising for websites, look at the
LinkedIn profiles of people who have job titles such as “online advertising manager”
or “director of interactive sales.” Then, find the words that appear commonly in these
profiles, such as “digital ad sales,” “online advertising,” “new media” or “web sales.”

o Smart job seekers then sprinkle these words throughout their own profiles
(assuming they accurately reflect your skills and experience, of course). Good places
to include keywords in your LinkedIn profile are in your profile title, the
Summary section, the Specialties area and throughout the descriptions beneath
each position you list in your Experience section.

• Build Your Network. Connect with other members and build your network. The
more connections you have, the more opportunities you have. Your first step is to
Import your address book and add those trusted connections who are already on
LinkedIn. To complete your network, invite the contacts that are not on LinkedIn to
join.

• Join Groups. LinkedIn has some 500,000 Groups, all of which can be found in the
Groups section of the site, and you can join one or several to network with folks who
share your professional interests.



• Get Recommendations. Recommendations from people you have worked with carry
a lot of weight. When you're a Group member, you can participate in online
discussions, contact other group members for one-on-one conversation, and expand
your LinkedIn network. Once again, be careful not to invite people to join your
network willy-nilly. Soliciting strangers can get you in the LinkedIn doghouse. Make
invitations thoughtfully.

• Search Jobs. Use the job search section to find job listings. LinkedIn Jobs has
thousands of job listings for each category. You can search using keywords, title,
company, and location to find the perfect opportunity for you.

o Filter thousands of job postings by location, company, date posted and more.

o See who posted the job and how you’re connected to them or others at the
company.

o Apply for many jobs directly through LinkedIn with just your profile.

• Use Answers. The Answers section of LinkedIn is a good way to increase your
visibility and to share business knowledge. Respond to questions, and ask a question
if you need information or assistance.

o Ask your question and get fast, accurate answers from your network and
other experts worldwide

o Showcase your knowledge, expertise, and interests by answering questions

o Stay up on the latest in your industry and functional area



How to Use Facebook for Job Search

Facebook Search

When you search for a particular term on Facebook, you can narrow it down to people,
pages, groups, link, etc. which gives you wide range of options as to who to network with
and reach out to.

For instance, if you are looking for jobs related to “marketing” you can simply search for
that term and connect with people in that particular field. You can search for people who are
business analysts, join groups and pages or simply find links that have the term “animation”
in them. This allows you to connect with likeminded people and build a relationship with
them which can help you find a job later. Also if you are searching for links, you might find
a job where someone is looking for business analysts.

Facebook Pages and
Groups



Facebook has many groups and pages for career minded individuals as well as recruiters.
These features allow you to join a group of people with similar interests, or simply provide
an opportunity for you to learn more about a company or connect with recruiters via
Facebook. Your active participation and engagement in these groups will help recruiters
determine whether you are a good fit when there is a job opening.

Make sure to be an active user in these groups because when a job opportunity becomes
available

Also Facebook has many groups and pages for career minded individuals as well as
recruiters. Use the word “recruiter” when searching and you should be able to find many
groups and pages. Choose the ones that seem active and start participating.

Facebook Applications

There are some really good applications for job hunters on Facebook that allows you to get
more out of Facebook and other job search sites. Visit the Facebook Application Directory
and search using "job search" "career" or "jobs" as keywords. BranchOut, Easy CV, Business
Cards, Indeed – Job Search, CareerBuilder, Hire My Friend, etc are some of the Facebook
Applications which are very helpful for job seekers.

Facebook Marketplace

It certainly is one that you should check into every once in a while. To find more jobs simply
click on jobs and you will be able to see all the jobs listed in the marketplace.

Ways to Adjust Privacy Settings in Facebook

Keep in Mind too many people get overly comfortable on social platforms and end up
losing jobs and opportunities.

Why employers disregard candidates after screening online



Thirty-five percent of employers reported they have found content on social networking
sites that caused them not to hire the candidate, including:

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information -- 53
percent
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs -- 44 percent
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients -- 35 percent
• Candidate showed poor communication skills -- 29 percent
• Candidate made discriminatory comments -- 26 percent
• Candidate lied about qualifications -- 24 percent
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer -- 20 percent

So, use Facebook professionally, and more specifically in respect to job search. Be careful
and be sensible when using this platform. Here are five tips for job seekers to keep a positive
image online:

• Clean up digital dirt before you begin your job search. Remove any photos, content
and links that can work against you in an employer's eyes.
• Consider creating your own professional group on sites like Facebook or
BrightFuse.com. It's a great way to establish relationships with leaders, recruiters and
potential referrals.
• Keep gripes offline. Keep the content you post focused on positive things, whether
it's related to professional or personal information. Make sure to highlight specific
accomplishments inside and outside of work.
• Be selective about whom you accept as friends. Don't forget others can see your
friends when they search for you. Monitor comments made by others and consider
using the "block comments" feature. Even better, set your profile to "private" so only
designated friends can view it.
• If you're still employed, don't mention your job search in your Tweets or status
updates. There are multiple examples of people who have gotten fired as a result of
doing this. In addition, a potential employer might assume that if you're willing to
search for a new job on your current company's time, why wouldn't you do so on
theirs?



How to Use Twitter for Job Search
Twitter is evolving as another resource, in addition to traditional methods, for both job
searching and recruiting. For job search:

• Put your "elevator pitch" in your bio.
• Use a professional avatar.
• Have a custom background giving more detail about your qualifications.
• Have a link to your online resume
• Follow industry experts in your industry on Twitter.
• Establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Use your status updates to tweet
about industry topics, tips, advice. You don’t have to create all the content. You just
need to be viewed as someone “in the know”.
• Get targeted job tweets sent to your Twitter feed or mobile phone.
• Be consistent on image throughout all your online platforms

There are many new Twitter tools and applications to assist with a proactive job search.

@Microjobs

@Microjobs is developed to bring together job seekers and recruiters through tweets.
Recruiters begin their tweets with @Microjobs, and then submit. The @Microjobs account
automatically tweets out requests to its growing network of job seekers.

TweetMyJobs

This is another tool born out of Twitter for job seekers and recruiters. Follow the hashtag
#Tweetmyjobs and visit the website. This is a very simple (and free) tool for job seekers. You
can subscribe to desired job channels and even have new openings automatically sent to
your mobile phone.

In addition, there are a variety of Twitter accounts dedicated to providing job listings by
field, company, region, and more. Once you’ve decided which best match your job search,
consider turning on mobile alerts for these accounts to be among the first to receive
messages.

To find additional Twitter job resources, use the Twitter search function and type in
keywords important in your job search. For example, “job openings,” “looking for a job,” or
“healthcare career.” Additionally, you can search out others in your desired career field on
sites like Twellow, Just tweet it, and TwitterTroll.

Keep tweets professional

Here are four ways you can project a more professional image on Twitter:

• Ask yourself if a tweet is the right format for your message
• Use active language and contractions to keep your tweets short
• Give your readers all the information they need
• Be casual, but come down on the side of standard English



Have daily routine for tweeting

• Write 5 tweets a day. Choose from a statement, a link to something you enjoy, a link
to something one of your followers wrote, a celebration of your followers, an @ reply,
something zany you overheard, a question, or an RT of something you find
interesting.
• Write your tweets and schedule them for the coming week. You can work in a
pattern or mix it up. Either way, you’ll have a Twitter page that is personable,
interesting, current, and useful.

Participate in chats using hashtags to get advice and be noticed

Join in regular chat groups that happen during specific times like the #jobhuntchat, which
goes on every Monday from 10 to 11 P.M. EST. The live chat includes some very helpful
people from HR specialists to resume experts who not only are willing to lend a hand but
can also help you get connected to other job-providing Twitter users. Some chats that you
should check out are #careerchat, #internchat and #hirefriday.

Most industries and professions already have their own dedicated chats which allow you to
network with your peers and perhaps be noticed by a recruiter. Check out
hashdictionary.com to find more hashtags that might interest you, including other job-
related tags.

Meet your network by attending Tweetups

Actually, tweetups can be a great way to get to know people in your area who share similar
interests. Professionals also use tweetups to network with people in their fields. Some
networking tweetups are aimed at professionals working a particular field, others at
employees in various fields who have similar roles, and still others are staged by companies.
So, search for a nearby tweetup on TwtVite, and start physical network with people working
in the areas of your interests.

Follow Twitter Lists before you follow other Twitter users

Firstly, find Relevant Twitter Lists to follow. Listorious is the best way to find relevant
Twitter Lists to follow. Navigate over to the site, enter the keyword in the search box, and a
list of Twitter Lists will follow. You can search for List or People. If you chose a tag which is
popular, not only will all of the Twitter Lists appear in descending order by the number of
people following the list. This gives you a plethora of information on a variety of Twitter
Lists which you can start to follow.

Monitor Your Twitter Lists for Relevant People to Follow. Spend some time and navigate
between a few of your Twitter lists. Look for information that you find relevant, and look
who those people tweeting the information are. If you find someone tweeting out relevant
information most of the time, go ahead and follow them. In addition, follow the companies
that interest you. Follow potential target company employees, recruiters, and industry
leaders. You can use the top two user directories, Twellow and WeFollow, to find relevant
people to follow



Follow Twitter accounts that post job openings

You should also follow accounts that retweet and gather job openings. You should also
follow @jobangels, @jobshouts, @twithire, the major job board sites @indeed and
@simplyhired, and @startuphire .

Check out Twitter job search engines including TwitJobSearch, but equally impressive
is TweetMyJobs.

One of Twitter's most useful aspects is the access it provides you. Recruiters, HR
representatives, hiring managers, and executives all use Twitter on a daily basis. Unlike an
online job posting where you can only apply via the information provided, Twitter allows
you to interact with these people directly by sending them an @ reply or a direct message.
Your resume is much more likely to be seen and seriously considered if you’ve interacted
with a company representative rather than applying to a job post along with hundreds of
other job seekers.



Privacy Issues
Remember that employers will probably be looking at all the information you have online.
Take the time to periodically check all the information you have online, so you can make
sure you don't get any unpleasant surprises during the hiring process.

10 don'ts for job hunters

• Don't be too technical in your resume or profile
• Don't jump on a social networking site and give the perception that you're
desperately looking for a job -- just "taking" and not "giving"
• Don't wait until you're laid off before building out your social networks and staying
active
• Don't forget to check out your "online presence" or "personal branding" to make sure
nothing embarrassing shows up
• Don't forget the No. 1 goal is an in-company referral and you must be willing to take
action outside your comfort zone to get one
• Don't spend too much time in front of the screen. Phone calls and face-to-face
meetings are vital
• Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone on the Web in your targeted area -- ask
questions, suggest products, share information
• Don't expect to log on and find a direct lead, because the best tips often come from
someone on the network who is several times removed from you
• Don't forget to stay engaged in your field, keep up on the latest news, products and
services -- and check out start-ups, which can be a great place to find a job if you act
fast
• Don't try to make friends or contacts with everyone you can on the networks; make
sure it's someone you know or have something in common with



Conclusion

Position Yourself for Social Media Success

Social recruiting is a new endeavor for many companies and they are still experimenting
with what works from a recruiting perspective, and what doesn't. That means there are no
hard and fast rules on how to connect and position yourself to be found, but there are tactics
you can use to make the right connections with people in your industry and career field.

Networking Before You Need To

Build your network well in advance of when you need it. Talk to your connections
on Twitter or the other networking sites. Join Groups on LinkedIn and Facebook,
post and join the discussion. Be engaged and proactive in your communications. By
building a network in advance, you won't have to scramble if you unexpectedly lose
your job or decide it's time to move on.

The contacts you make online will help you transition from technology to person-to-
person communications. For example, a relevant tweet can lead to an @reply (a reply
in response to your post) or a DM (direct message) from a hiring manager.

Growing Your Network

Work on your networking building exercise, mostly via LinkedIn, Twitter, and
Facebook, with a broad base of contacts. Stay in touch, with all those contacts , they
are there if you need them, and you should be there to help them, as well.

Take it one step at a time - and one contact at a time - and you'll be able to build your
own career network. It won't happen overnight, but it doesn't have to. Work on your
network when time permits, being cognizant of the fact that your network is key to
getting your next job. Use your network wisely and carefully, thinking twice before
you post, so you're using it to help, not hinder, your job search.



Resources
http://learn.linkedin.com/

http://www.facebook.com/help/

http://support.twitter.com/

http://jobsearch.about.com/

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networkingsites/a/networkingsites.htm

http://mashable.com/2009/02/24/top-10-social-sites-for-finding-a-job/

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/10-ways-to-use.html

http://www.cio.com/article/598151/Social_Networking_Ever_More_Critical_to_Job_Search_Success

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1903083,00.html

http://applicant.com/facebook-as-a-job-search-tool/

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9132611/Job_hunting_Use_social_networks_to_make_cr
ucial_connections_



ABOUT THIS e-Book

Leveraging Social Networking Sites for Job Opportunities, a guide to help job seekers and career –oriented
youth looking for better career prospects is organized, edited and curated by WITS ZEN for the benefit of the
job seekers looking for better job opportunities and a successful career path. The WITS ZEN team various
authentic sites, reports, surveys, ebooks and blogs to collate, curate and compile the eBook. For more
information, mail to witszen@gmail.com

ABOUT WITSZEN

The WITS Zen is a blog to bring the Web, Internet, Technology and Social innovations and innovative
news to global WITS enthusiasts, practitioners, prospective customers, business partners, and investors,
eventually inspiring the inventing entrepreneurs into technology venturing and entrepreneurship.

In the process, WITS Zen becomes an information hub for people going for technology venturing and
entrepreneurship. Presently, WITS Zen doesn't generate innovative ideas but works towards curating, echoing,
aggregating, analyzing, and reviewing innovations, creating insights in Web, Internet, Technology and Social
Commerce/ Media industry.

Website: www.witszen.com


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