My Colleges and Careers

Dec 7 2011, 4:05pm
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HeyOverbey!: TOP Jobhunting Tips November 2011

Here is a shortlist of some of the top tips for jobseekers I have gathered from all my social media interactions from November 2011. Pass ‘em along…

(1) Although still in beta, fill out your skills section on Linkedin. You will show up in more search results. Even if you have a small business, still fill out the section with your expertise. You will get found more often. Here’s the link: http://www.linkedin.com/skills/?trk=skills-global-nav

(4) STOP asking fluffy, dating-like questions in interviews - both recruiters and interviewees. Ask questions about measurable performance. (by way of: @levyrecruits - yeah, you need to be following him on Twitter, too!)

Companies have a problem to solve and clear challenges they are facing in an open position. Ask what those problems are. Then demonstrate in your interview exactly how you can and have solved those problems in your career.

(8) A timely tip for looking for work during the Holidays. @ClarkHoward shares a great video tip about showing work ethic by STILL looking for a job right when you think the season slows job hunting down. It doesn’t! Hardcore recruiters will work right through December to fill positions.

http://www.clarkhoward.com/videos/clark-howard/employment-military/a-timely-tip-for-job-hunters/vFPcw/

job search, social media,

Reblogged from A Hire Calling

Nov 18 2011, 3:14pm
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How Employers Are Screening Job Applicants Through Social Media

Dave Delaney’s new Facebook Timeline Photo

If you are in the job market and have profiles on some of the top social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, read on. You may be surprised with some of the findings.

91% of recruiters have screened their employees through social media.

76% of hiring managers checked in on applicants on Facebook.
53% of hiring managers looked into applicants on Twitter.
While LinkedIn is touted as the professional social media site to use in the job search, only 46% of hiring managers screened their applicants through it.

69% of recruiters reported that they rejected a job candidate based on something they saw on the applicant’s social media profiles. Reasons applicants were rejected include:

Lying about their qualifications
Posting inappropriate photos or content
Demonstrating poor communication skills
Divulging confidential information from a former employer

7 Social Media Sites to Help With Visibility in Your Job Search

Photo: Look Up Page

Facebook isn’t just a fun time waster anymore, but a tool that can also be used strategically in your job search. Personal Branding expert Beth Campbell-Duke suggests creating your own professional Facebook page in your job search so you can protect your personal information and reach out to companies you want to work for as your professional alias.
Tumblr is today’s hottest microblogging platform. In a recent comparison between WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr, Tumblr came out on top in page views and attention on blog sites by a long shot. Create a Tumblr blog in an area of your interest, then blog and share content consistently so you can brand yourself as the expert on the topic.
Twitter is an opportunity to get your message out in 140 characters or less. One of the most valuable ways to use Twitter is to listen to influencers, engage with people, and send traffic to your blog by sharing your content. Don’t underestimate the value of a tweet either! The University of Iowa recently awarded a $37,000 college scholarship for a 140 character Tweet essay.
about.me. Since you have social media profiles all over the web, about.me provides you with a free splash page where you can put up a bio, profile picture, and link to your blog and your assorted profiles from one place. You can also track the people that are coming to your about.me site.

Why Create a Professional Facebook Presence?

Photo: Careerealism

What if you created a professional Facebook page where employers and potential employers can go to find out more information about your ongoing professional development?

This page can also be a place to interact with work colleagues that you may not want to let in on your personal profile.

Here’s How To Create a Professional Facebook Presence:

Head to Facebook.com/pages. You’ll need to log in to your profile to begin. Hit ‘Create a Page’ at the top right of the page to get started.
Choose the most appropriate category for yourself – probably ‘Artist, Band or Public Figure’.
Set up your page just as you would your personal profile. Use a different image than on your personal profile – otherwise it gets confusing later as to whether you’re on your profile or page.
Start using Facebook as your page. Under ‘Account’ in the top right corner, choose the ‘Use Facebook As Page’ option – and make sure you ‘switch’ to the page. You are now operating as your professional self.
Find professional pages of groups or businesses in your field and ‘like’ them.
Whenever you comment now on a post from another page, the comment comes from your professional image! Keep it up!

Done! You can ‘switch’ back and forth between your personal profile and professional page easily through the ‘Account’ tab at the top right of the Facebook page.