The beauty of social media

Up until very recently, looking for a job meant sending off your CV to companies who had advertised a vacancy. Companies typically advertised through newspapers, Job Centres, and of course, unofficially through word of mouth.

But along with the worst global recession in sixty odd years has come an explosion in the use of social media. (Social media = content created and shared by people using accessible publishing technologies, such as the internet.) No longer do you need to go out and buy the newspaper and scan the classified ads to find a job. Instead, you can log on to Twitter or a job board, for example, to find new opportunities.

But crucially, social media, such as blogs, LinkedIn and Facebook, offer everyone – really everyone, at every level of the company, regardless of rank or title – the chance to share information about what’s going on and to create and build personal relationships. Everyone gets the chance to participate in discussions, share opinions, highlight new trends, and as long as you don’t blow it, you can build up your online reputation and increase your chances of being considered for the next vacancy.

In an excellent article, David Finch mentions fifteen things that social media can do for you. Some of his points that are most relevant to job seekers are these:

Social media
- allows you to participate in networks that at one time you didn’t have access to.
- gives you access to thought leaders
- connects you to employment opportunities
- allows you the ability to build a global network easier
- provides a platform to build and promote a personal brand
- increases the opportunity to become a thought leader in your area of expertise
- connects you with business opportunities – partnerships and funding
- gives you access to information faster, easier and in real time.
- makes it easier to share information with your networks

It’s true that job seekers are facing a recruitment squeeze not seen since the early 90′s. But it’s also true that there are now more tools at our disposal than at any other time, to make contacts and uncover opportunities. Taking the time to build online relationships and increase a network of contacts is one of the quickest routes into a new job.

Click here for more articles by David Finch.