Ploymint

By Brett Pucino

I had a friend in college who used to freak out over the idea of networking. This girl had thousands of friends and followers across her Social Media accounts. My friend’s reaction is a common feeling amongst Millennials. The reality is this fear is completely irrational. Our generation redefined social networking. Apply what you already know about social networking to your job search. You’ll see how social media can actually land you a job.

Rebranding Yourself After the Post-College Social Media Scrub

Once you handled the post-college social media scrub, your next task is rebranding yourself.

Think of yourself as a brand. Your Social Media accounts are your brand’s public image. Step one is posting content that would impress an employer in your field.

Take a moment to think about why Millennials seem to document everything they do. The answer is two simple words: image management.

If you go out to Cielo in New York City, then you’re going to make sure everyone knows it through your Social Media updates. On the other hand, you won’t be updating nearly that much if you’re drinking on a Tuesday night at a local dive bar.

Apply this same line of thinking to your new image. If you attend an event related to your field, then flood Social Media with a ton of updates. Write about the connections you made. Go on and on about the information you learned. It’s not going to get as many likes as a drunken rant, but it sure looks better to a potential employer.

3 Ways to Use Social Media to Position Yourself As an Ideal Candidate

Most job postings list the qualities of their ideal candidate. Here’s how to use Social Media to show potential employers you have what they’re looking for.

More LinkedIn, Less Facebook

Facebook can be useful if you join groups related to your field. With that being said, LinkedIn Is essentially Facebook for professionals.

There’s a good chance you already have a LinkedIn profile. There’s also a good chance that you haven’t logged in since you had to make the account as an assignment back in college.

LinkedIn should be your new Facebook. Reach out and connect with influencers within your field, as well as with employees of companies which pique your interest. Join some groups and start building relationships.

Connect With Industry Insiders on Twitter

Twitter is the best Social Media platform for real-time conversation. Scope out some people within your field who are active on Twitter and give them a follow. Follow any members of upper management within companies you’d like to work for who have public profiles. The more you interact, the more likely your name will look familiar when it comes across their desk on a resume.

Start a Blog

If you have a college degree, then you have the skills to blog. Blogging accomplishes a few things. The first is it links your name to industry-specific material. This will come up first when a potential employer Googles your name.

Another thing accomplished by blogging is it proves you have writing skills. I’m sure you’ve noticed how every job posting has “excellent written & verbal communication skills” as one of the qualities of their ideal candidate. It also proves to employers you are up on current trends within your field.

Social Media is a digital double-edged sword when it comes to job hunting. Has Social Media led you to any job opportunities? We’d love to hear your experiences in a comment.