Employers to Job Hunters: Use Social Media and Be Bold

I noticed two huge themes from yesterday's Career Circus hosted by mediabistro. While job seekers searched for specific advice regarding how to find the next dream job, the panelists mentioned two important characteristics that their hires have. 1) They use online media tools to help attract potential employers. 2) And they're bold. Many of the panelists felt the best way to get into the door for an interview was by using LinkedIn and other social media outlets to the sites' fullest potential. Author Lindsay Pollack suggested when using LinkedIn, fill it out to 100 percent and make sure your headline stands out. That's because when hiring reps do searches, they'll be drawn to the strong headline. Pollack told a story of a college student who wanted to ask her for some career advice. But she often gets these after speaking at schools, and she can't normally answer them all. This student, however, looked at her website and LinkedIn profile, and found out that she likes Starbucks' tall skim lattes. In his email to Pollack, he offered to meet her at her local Starbucks and would buy her the latte. She was so impressed with the note, she decided to meet with him and even recommended him for jobs. Using social media to find out about your potential hires provides so many opportunities to at least get your foot in the door. Also, you can search for other people that have the career you want. Use their profiles to see what you can do to advance your resume, and mimic what they have done. The other over-arching theme was "be bold." Rebecca Watson, vice president of the start-up gwallet said having a strong personality in the start-up world will get your foot in the door quicker. She said, suggesting "launch ideas and new products" that intrigue the interviewer forces an employer to remember you, which could lead to a new job. Watson talked about one guy who heard that the gwallet owner Gurbaksh Chahal was looking for "rock-stars" to come aboard the team. One potential-hire sent in a cover letter simply with links to his Youtube page where he performed on-stage in front of a crowd. Yes, you get it, a real-life rock-star. It might sound corny, but he got a chance to interview, said Watson. So be bold, and use social media, and if you're doing it correctly, be bold on social media. Happy hunting. Photo by sakocreative

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Employers to Job Hunters: Use Social Media and Be Bold

Ryan Derousseau

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Ryan Derousseau