“Hello…” – Using Social Media To Get Your Dream Job

Social media is not a new concept to many; it is what is in vogue now, the ‘in thing’. People find it even more comfortable to send you a Facebook invite, follow you on twitter or ask for your BB pin than ask for your mobile number these days. You know what I mean?

For every trend in the society today, one can induce some applicability to the job search process. Remember, I said in my earlier post here that “From a recruiter’s point of view, any job seeker that has a mind to win in the talent war must take his/her job search seriously because job searching is a job in itself!”.

SocialRecruiting is a growing trend in human resources today. In simple terms, SocialRecruiting is the effective use of Social Media & Social Networks by employers to attract, source, engage with and hire candidates. It is a relatively new concept which HR professionals in most parts of the world are using to support their recruitment efforts.

Today, I want to share a few tips with you on how you can harness the social media secrets to hopefully secure your next job.

1. Watch what you share on Facebook and Twitter: I know many may take offence by that statement. I can hear your reply – “What do you mean? My Facebook status/photos and my tweets are my private life now, how does that affect you?”. Do you know that, some employers in Europe and US have started the practice of screening candidates using social media? (oops! Hope you do not get caught if this starts in Nigeria today!) So, take precaution with what you share.
2. Like Your ‘Dream’ Companies’ Facebook Pages and follow their twitter handle: So many job-related information are being posted/tweeted from time to time on a Company’s FB page/twitter handle which you need to be part of to view them. Keep yourself up-to-date by availing yourself of this. You may just be a click away from your next job!
3. Get a Professional LinkedIn Profile and Join useful LinkedIn Groups: I know many
   are familiar with Facebook and Twitter already but only a few job-seekers know the usefulness of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is more like Facebook for professionals.  As a recruiter, LinkedIn is my MOST USEFUL TOOL for sourcing for candidates. Also, most professional groups on LinkedIn
   are FREE to join. Join useful groups and participate in the discussion. Countless job openings are shared on LinkedIn groups, many of which maybe what you have been looking for.
4. Use Yahoo! Messenger and BBM Broadcast wisely: While many ‘ping’ themselves away with unnecessary discussions,  a few  ‘ping’ their way to their dream jobs. I must say that once you are connected to the right source of information, the much needed job information would get to you.
5. Google Your Name: That is ‘strange’, right? Try it first then you would see how the world views you. This is a way of checking your online presence and how it helps in projecting you as a valuable employee. I do so many times.

In closure, I will leave you with one of my 2011 tweets on Socialrecruiting: SocialRecruiting is not a completely new idea in the global HR space but in Nigeria it may be NEW!  Feel free to drop your questions in the comment section and as usual, I would attend to it.

About Segun Akiode: Segun is a Talent Acquisition Specialist | HR Professional | Blogger | Motivational Speaker | Aspiring Father | He is a work in progress… Connect with him | twitter: @segunakiode | FB Profile: Akiode Segun Oluwatosin | LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/segunakiode | FB Page: Nuggets For Nobles |Blog: http://segunakiode.wordpress.com