Revisit Social Media and Job Search

I received a phone call a couple days ago from a SU alumna. She graduated in 2005 with a finance degree and is currently seeking career opportunities in the hospitality industry. I have two advices for her. One is to gain some relevant work experience in the field; the other is to brand herself as an expert in hospitality management on social media.

Several months ago, I discussed the tactics of using social media in job search. Today, I am going to revisit this topic and share a Fox News video. Here are some of the advices discussed in the video:

• A “private” setting does not protect a person from being screened by his/her potential employers. Once a post, a picture, or a video is put online, it will be there forever. So, be careful of what you say on social media.  
• If you are looking for a job in today’s job market, you want your employers, and probably even better, everyone to know that you are an expert of something by sharing relevant content, participating on online discussions, and connecting other professionals with similar interest. “Consistency + Frequency” will help a person build a strong personal brand.
• Focus on content. In order to get the audience’ attention, a person must post something to which the target audience wants to listen.
• Interact with the current and potential employers. Candidates need to communicate with employers about their qualifications. A person’s expertise demonstrated on social media will help him/her build stronger credentials.

I have to also emphasize that it usually takes a long time for anyone to build a personal brand on social media. Good things will not happen overnight. If you are expecting to graduate or enter the job market in 2012 or later, probably it is time for you to start building your personal brand. Do you agree? What other social media job search tactics do you want to share with us?