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

By Segun Akiode

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.

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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

Article was published January 26, 2012 on Jobberman Blog (http://blog.jobberman.com/jobs-in-

nigeria/2012/01/hello-potential-employer-using-social-media-to-get-your-dream-job/)