Facebook, LinkedIn, Viadeo... how to use social networks to find a job
To effectively search for a job, it has become impossible to ignore social networks. However, you must use them wisely… Here are some tips, step by step, to succeed in your digital application.
Almost half of companies use social networks to recruit. Yet, only 36% of candidates use them to find a position. Where’s the mistake? If used correctly, these community sites allow you to build a real digital identity. Goal: make the most flattering information the most visible.
Step 1: Create your profile on professional social networks
LinkedIn, Viadeo, Huzz… these community platforms are professional Facebooks. To be visible on the web, you must take the time to meticulously fill out your profile (professional background, studies, hobbies). "Ideally, add recommendations from your colleagues, former supervisors," advises Jacques Froissant, founder of the recruitment firm Altaïde. Recruiters prefer to have references to reassure themselves. This information being accessible to all Internet users, be careful, of course, not to disclose sensitive data, such as the turnover of a particular contract.
Step 2: Develop your network of contacts
Ensure the consistency of information from one site to another – same job titles, same start and end dates of contracts – so as not to arouse doubts that will turn into trick questions during the job interview. Once your profiles are finalized, you will need to increase your visibility. "The most effective way is to participate in discussion groups in your areas of expertise," recommends Olivier Zara, web 2.0 expert and author of "Succeed in your career thanks to personal branding" (Eyrolles ed.). On Facebook, the BranchOut application allows, for example, to find "fans" who work in a particular company. Rather clever for developing your network.
Step 3: Run a blog in your area of expertise
The principle of search engines like Google is simple: the more content there is about you, the higher you will rank in the results pages. Creating a blog is therefore an effective technique to build a digital reputation as an expert. To avoid: the blog recounting the hardships of your job search. "Before launching your online journal, it is better to write down your thoughts on paper to offer clear, thoughtful and above all relevant content, worthy of a good professional," recommends Olivier Zara. You will then need to publish posts at least once a month. Nothing worse, indeed, than an abandoned blog…
Step 4: Monitor your image
Then, there’s no question of abandoning your digital identity. With each change in your career, you will update each of the profiles. But above all, you will monitor what is said about you on the web. "There is a simple and effective technique: set up a Google alert on "your name + your first name" and the name of your company if it is yours," advises Olivier Zara. "As soon as an article, a website or a blog mentions you, you will receive an alert by email." As a savvy Internet user, you will also make sure to self-censor. Sharing your political and religious opinions, criticizing your employer or displaying your private life on the Net are to be avoided… under penalty of seeing your CV go straight to the trash.
Published February 11, 2011
Posted online February 15, 2011
