Social Media & Finding a Job

Laura M. DonovanVice President Social Media Services

The Word Prowww.TheWordPro.com

• 78% of job recruiters check search engines for background on candidates

• 63% of job recruiters check social media sites

Top Social Sites

• Facebook – 1 Billion Users

• Google Plus – 500+ Million Users

• Twitter – 500+ Million Users

• LinkedIn – 200+ Million Users

• Pinterest – 48.7 Million Users

• #1 Social Network• 405 minutes/month • 2004 – Colleges/2005 – High School/September 26, 2006

opened to EVERYONE• Business/Community Pages are optimized for Search

Rank (SEO)• Network ‘reach’ is large• Excellent Platform to research potential companies• Use for showcasing your talent

Sources: Facebook/Wikipedia

• 89 minutes/month • Tweets & Re-Tweets contribute to SEO• March 2006• Network ‘reach’ is large• 500 million registered users as of 2012, generating over 340

million tweets daily and handling over 1.6 billion search queries per day.

• Keyword/Hashtag Posts • Use Platform to research job openings• Search Feature - # (Hashtag) – “Job Opening” “Now Hiring” etc.

• 3 minutes/month • Google Shares (updates) directly contribute to Search

Rank and SEO• Mostly used by professionals• Excellent place to research businesses, find

companies

• Set up a Personal Profile & Optimize • Use Circles to connect to influential people• Find opportunities• Research Companies & Openings• Highlight your Talents & Skills• Use as online portal

• 21 minutes/month • Launched May 5, 2003• True “Networking” and “Referral” Marketing• Mainly used for Professional Networking

• 21 Fill in every blank!• Add a good photo • Craft a descriptive sub-head.

Example:“Social media marketing VP at The Word Pro Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest consultant”

• Use keywords in the sub-head.

- Great Profile

PROFILE –• Conversational tone.

First person.• Highlight

accomplishments. • Highlight future goals.• Tell your story. • What makes you

unique?

- Great Profile

EXPERIENCE-• List every job, every

position. • Use descriptive

keywords.• Don’t write a job

description. Explain your accomplishments.

• What made you valuable as an employee?

SKILLS-• Type a “skill” in the search box:

– Definition– Names of professionals

who have the skill– Related Skills (suggestions

you might want to research)

– Relative Growth – Related Companies– Jobs– Related Groups

- Great Profile

FIND CONNECTIONS-• Put a name in the search box.• If you are a first, second or

third degree connection, you will be told how you are connected.

• Ask for an introduction!

• Search Keywords in “Groups”

• Find Groups in Industry

• Join Groups and Network

Online “Networking”

• Focus on LinkedIn• Target sources who may provide referrals• Join Groups• Share your experience • Use Connections’ Sources• Follow News & Events in Industry –

Contribute or Participate

Why Social Media?A study by Reppler, a reputation management business, showed some very interesting positive results from the use of social media.

A survey of 300 hiring managers revealed that 68% hired someone based on what they found in their social media search on a candidate's name.

• 39% hired someone because they got a positive impression of the candidate's personality and "organizational fit."

• 36% hired someone because the profile supported their professional qualifications.• 36% hired someone because the profile showed that the candidate was creative.• 34% hired someone because of the good references posted by others.• 33% hired someone because the profile showed "solid communications skills."• 33% hired someone because the profile showed that the candidate was well-

rounded.• 24% hired someone because the candidate received awards and accolades.

Job-Hunt.org

• Be Professional • Get a Personal Website• Get a Personal Facebook

Page – YOU• Use Networks to showcase

talent• Hire someone to write your

Profile• Make yourself standout • Do not be shy – use your

connections and networks

Personal Branding

Social Media Etiquette

• Do not avoid using Social Media – if you are not there you are “invisible”

• YOU control the “message” about YOU• A good Social Media presence and solid

profile has a positive impact on getting a job• Avoid posting those “fun”

photos• Avoid the use of “sketchy”

terms

Social Media Etiquette

What Employers Search

• Organization Skills• Communication Skills • Motivation• Qualifications• Flexibility• Degree• Passion• Innovation & Commitment• Track Record

Social/Online Background Checks

• Some companies are now requiring potential employees to pass a “social media background check” before offering them a job

• Companies exist that now “mine” the internet for info on YOU to report to potential employers

• These companies will check a candidate’s Facebook page, Google, LinkedIn— they scour the Internet to dig up anything they can on job seekers within the past seven years

• It will also show potential employers any questionable activity you’ve participated in online

• Less than 1/3 of damaging info comes from Facebook or Social Platforms

• “Deep” Web Searches find comments on blogs, posts on small sites or blogging sites, e-commerce sites, bulletin boards and even CraigsList

College.Monster.com

Examples• “…one prospective employee was found using Craigslist to look

for OxyContin.

• A woman posing naked in photos she put up on an image-sharing site didn’t get the job offer she was seeking at a hospital

• Other background reports have turned up examples of people making anti-Semitic comments and racist remarks

• A passed over job applicant belonged to a Facebook group and posted “This Is America. I Shouldn’t Have to Press 1 for English.”--While not overtly racist this could raise concerns with potential employers that the candidate doesn’t like immigrants and may have some underlying racial issues

College.Monster.com

Summary

• Join LinkedIn Groups• Make sure all Profiles are “top-notch”• Tweet keyword info about YOU• Search Tweets for keywords• Use your Networks• Research Business Pages on Facebook• Research Employees on LinkedIn (find

possible connections)• Use Apps• Showcase your Creative work (Pinterest)• Get a personal website• Set up a YOU Page on Facebook• WATCH what you Post – Comment - Search

Resource Links

Like our Facebook Page for list of Resource Links –

www.Facebook.com/TheWordPro

Laura M. DonovanVice President Social Media Services

(630) 362-4538Laura@TheWordPro.com www.TheWordPro.com

www.SocialMediaMarketing-Help.com www.IDoFacebook.com

www.Facebook.com/TheWordPro

Thank You!