You don’t need to have the following of a celebrity to get a job through social networking, but utilizing these channels to “be seen and heard” by strategically networking on these sites will help. Two of the largest and most used sites to network for job opportunities right now are LinkedIn and Twitter.
LinkedIn is not only a place to upload an online profile and resume, you can also engage and connect with other LinkedIn users through groups. Groups are formed around interests, industries, location, etc. Hudson has their own group, Hudson Network, with over 1,259 members ranging from clients, candidate and employees. If you were looking for a job at Hudson, or any company with a group, participating in a group discussion is an easy way to get your foot in the door. Once a group is formed it can update its users with tips, articles, and even job postings. These groups can be essential for job seekers, as well as a means to keep oneself updated on the latest changes in technology. Some more technically related LinkedIn groups are:
- LinkedIn: Java Developers is a place where Java Developers can share information, ideas, and grow professionally. Visit their website at http://javapgmr.net for discussion posting guidelines prior to posting discussion topics and java code puzzles. They are one of the fastest growing groups on LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn: The IT Developer Network is group for professionals with an interest in IT development technologies (Java, J2EE, .NET, C, C#, C++, VC++, VB, ASP, Coldfusion, Sharepoint, HTML, PHP etc).
- Linked .NET Users Group (LIDNUG) was formerly the “C# Professionals Group.” This group is meant to be for professionals using or interested in the Microsoft .NET technologies and the C# language in particular.
- LinkedIn: .NET People is the place to meet other.NET professionals around the world. Join this group to connect and share knowledge on .NET. Please post discussions on .NET Technologies.
These LinkedIn groups are all great for IT job seekers, but you never know where the opportunities may lie. I encourage you to join groups based around your interests, specifically your industry. To find a group pertinent to you, login in (you first have to have a LinkedIn profile!), select “Search Groups” and enter terms associated with your area of interest or expertise (i.e. Java, .Net, Oracle, SQL, Data Warehousing, Project Management, etc.) and join! Can’t find the group you’re looking for, here is a directory. Still can’t find it? Start your own!
If you have been following our posts on ITHireWire you may have read, ‘Building Your Network of Followers on Twitter‘ which explains that your success with Twitter depends on your following and how you engage them. Here are few Twitter users who post job listings. You might want to start following them to hear about the latest IT jobs out there:
Here are a few other informative people who can guide you on how to conduct your job search utilizing social media:
- Job Searching: Allison Doyle is a great person to follow. The blogger for About.com’s Job Search and Employment Guide tweets about just about everything you need to know from job searching at a party to writing a killer resume.
- Personal Branding: With all of these social media sites, it’s more important now than ever to strategically manage your personal brand. Dan Schawbel is an expert in personal branding, his Tweets are a gold mine of “how to’s” and tips. To see how your personal brand measures up, figure out your Google Quotient.
Twitter is a great resource to find a job and have questions answered immediately. If you are following these people and Tweet a job related question, you can be sure they will answer you. Better yet, you can @ reply and DM (Direct Message) them! Of course there is always Hudson. If you are interested in a career in IT send me a Tweet, @toddharootyan!
Twitter and LinkedIn are both great ways to build and maintain your network. Here are a few other social sites that will enable you to properly showcase your work by harnessing the power of Web 2.0.
- Jobster is a networking platform that connects you to hiring managers through jobs posted on the site. It allows you to create your profile, as all SM sites do, but Jobster also allows you to tag your skills. Once you apply for a job, the site allows you to connect with the person who posted it and add them to your network.
- Visual CV can bring your static resume into Web 2.0 with a Visual CV. It is a site that allows you to create your own resume webpage using various forms of media to showcase your work samples such as video, audio, images, charts and graphs. You can send it to recruiters by downloading it into a PDF or linking to it. The site also has a job search feature that allows you to directly apply with your page.
- JobFoxdeveloped a system that creates a suitability profile by learning about candidates through the skills, experiences, and goals they post on the site and then matches candidates with jobs that fit, similar to online dating.
As they say, job seeking is a full time job in itself, especially if you are managing all of these various social networks. While it may take sometime to get your “networks” optimized and built, eventually you just might find success and land yourself a job. Don’t believe me? Twitter to Job is just one of many social media success stories that display the power of networking and personal branding online.
Tags: Job Search, LinkedIn, social networks, Twitter
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Todd Harootyan
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Nice post. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Comment by resume writing company — July 21, 2009 @ 4:55 pm