Job Hunting 2.0
Job Hunting 2.0
Last Updated (30/03/12) Written by Sinead Smith 29/03/12
Back in the day, the first step when looking for a job was to fine tune your CV and script a suitable cover letter. The second step often involved trudging door-to-door, handing out neatly addressed envelopes and hoping to hear back.
Nowadays, with the advent of social media, job hunting has taken on a remarkably different format. Today, you can sell yourself, your experience and your skills to prospective employers without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. Having a well-developed social profile will not only aid you in finding the best opportunities but, it will also help those in the process of recruiting recognise your suitability for their role and make the first contact.
Here are our top three tips on getting your social profile up and running!
1. Be LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the foremost professional network on the web and we always recommend that our candidates set-up a profile if they haven’t done so already. With over 150 million members worldwide, it is the perfect forum to sell yourself via your virtual CV.
Aim to get your profile to 100% completeness. It may seem like a lot of work to begin with but, LinkedIn will guide you through this process and, by having a comprehensive and concise profile that details your education, qualifications, experience and key skills to date, recruiters and potential employers will be able to instantly see if you are suitable for their role and make the approach.
However, you don’t have to sit around waiting to be seen on LinkedIn. Most companies and recruitment agencies are on the network and often post details of new opportunities for the discerning jobseeker to see and snap up. Follow companies you would potentially be interested in working with and connect with recruiters who specialise in your field so that you can see their new roles as soon as they become available.
2. Twit-Twoo
When you think of Twitter, job hunting probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, Twitter is, first and foremost, an information network and that includes invaluable information about new career opportunities - if you follow the right people, that is.
Most businesses these days are on Twitter and that includes us recruiters. As with LinkedIn, follow those who are relevant to your field. You’ll be rewarded with real time updates on new jobs and, if interested, you can be first in the door with your CV.
Tweets are limited to 140 characters so exchanges on this network are short, snappy and to-the-point. With over 140 million users and 340 million Tweets sent per day, there is a wealth of information out there just waiting to be tapped into.
For instance, if you are job hunting in Ireland, follow #jobfairy; the hashtag created by journalist Una Mullally to pair up Tweeters with their ideal jobs. Remember though, if you plan on using Twitter in this kind of professional capacity, you will have to conduct yourself with a little more finesse than you may do when Tweeting with friends!
3. Registration Day
Contrary to popular belief, job boards are not dead. Some of our strongest candidates over the years have come to us via job postings and, of our last 10 placements, 50% were candidates who applied to us through jobs websites.
We can’t stress enough the importance of registering your CV with the likes of IrishJobs, Jobs.ie, Monster and Recruit Ireland. All four sites offer this option as a free resource and it makes your CV and details of your experience, qualifications and career preferences searchable to employers and agencies.
Thanks to the incredible growth of social media, job hunting has never been easier than it is today and it would be remiss of any discerning job seeker not to utilise the above resources to their full potential. All are free, all are easy and all can help you take the next step in your career!
You can now follow Accountancy Professionals on LinkedIn,Twitter and Facebook!
By autson.com