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Top tips for successfully seeking opportunities through social

Sep 30, 2023 · 2 min read

A decade ago, job seekers used online job portals like Indeed, Career Builder and Monster to search for and apply to jobs. Today, it’s much more likely for candidates to use social platforms to build their brands, and recruiters are paying attention.

It’s important to make sure your online presence makes a stellar first impression for prospective employers. According to a YouGov survey, one in five employers have turned down a candidate after checking their online activity. Some employers even admit they’re less likely to invite a candidate to a job interview if they can’t find them online.

Here are four tips for building an online presence that stands out for the right reasons:

Craft a personal mission statement

This is the first and most important step. Before you start developing an online presence, determine how you want to be known. Craft a personal mission statement and take some time to think about how you’re going to bring it to life. This will be the foundation of all your hard work, so make sure it’s authentic.

Google yourself

After you have a sense how you’d like to be known, audit the content that’s already out there. Google yourself and see what comes up in the search results. Use Google alerts to make sure you get an email anytime something is published mentioning your name.

Choose your channels Invest time in the channels that matter to your audience. The first social media platform to consider is LinkedIn as it’s one of the top recruiting platforms. Make sure your profile is current and aligns with your personal mission statement. While career advisors say you should update your CV every couple of months, LinkedIn has different rules. Take time once a month to update your profile and add new accomplishments. And take time each week, at least, to engage in the platform and check in with connections. Twitter is another way to work on your professional brand. Twitter is ideal for contributing to conversations in your industry, engaging with thought leaders, and crafting tweets that link to useful content or an industry blog you help write. Be consistent Be consistent and list the same jobs and dates online and in your CV, otherwise, you may cause confusion or concern among potential recruiters. It’s a good idea to tailor your CV every time you apply for a job but make sure it tells the same story as your online profile. If you’re not making use of professional social media as part of your career management you could be missing out on the chance to make new contacts, find new job opportunities and improve your professional reputation.

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