3.4 Online Personal Branding

In today’s job market, your online presence can be just as important as your resume and interview skills. Since most employers will check your social media sites before offering you a job or interviewing you, you need to make sure that your online presence projects a professional image.

Social media also gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills and expertise, connect with other professionals in your industry, and access the hidden job market. It’s important that you take the time to develop and update your profiles regularly and use these sites strategically to build your network.

Table 3.1 Social Media for Job Search

Pitfalls of Social Media

While social media has opened many doors for job seekers and career changers alike, it also has some pitfalls that could lead to damage to your professional reputation.

“ What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas; what happens on Twitter stays on Google forever! ”

– Jure Klepic, Digital Strategist/Marketing Executive

Creating your LinkedIn Profile

Most job seekers have a profile on LinkedIn but few use it strategically. Sometimes making small changes to your profile can make a huge difference in the quantity and quality of contacts you’re able to make.

Here are some tips that will help you build a stronger profile:

Choose your photo carefully: People are more likely to connect with you when you have a good quality photo. Your profile picture should be a clear headshot. A good photo to use is one in which you look both approachable and professional. Consider using a photo in which you’re smiling.

Put some thought into your headline: Your headline gives you one line (120 characters) to describe your roles and strengths. You may use your official job title or come up with something more creative. Consider including keywords that recruiters might be using as search terms.

Create a compelling summary: Your summary (2000 characters max) gives you more space to be creative. Find a way to effectively communicate your value to employers. What is unique about you? Focus on your most marketable skills and consider including your major achievements or value proposition.

Build your “Experience” section: The experience section is formatted to resemble a resume. Again, remember to consider your target position(s) and to highlight the skills and experience that would be most attractive to potential employers. Embed media files wherever appropriate.

It takes time to build a strong LinkedIn profile, but you may be surprised by the doors that it can open for you. The key is to update your profile regularly and to be consistent with your social media efforts.

Job Search Campaign

To get an employer’s attention, it can help to try a unique approach. One effective strategy is to reach out to key decision-makers. The purpose of a job search campaign, whether it is conducted through email or social media, is to get the attention of people in a position to make hiring decisions. If you impress them and present yourself as a person who can solve their problems, they may invite you in for an interview. Here are some recommended steps to launching an effective job search campaign:

Step 1: Conduct research on companies of interest

Before contacting a hiring decision-maker, it’s important that you learn as much as you can about their company. Review their website content and search for additional information about them in the media or on professional organization websites. You should also identify whether they have any current job postings.

Step 2: Make a list of people who you want to target

Identify the key decision-makers at your target companies. Choose people who are in departments that are of interest to you and that are in senior enough positions to be able to have some influence. Avoid the human resources department as they will often invite you to simply apply online. Research on social media and read industry publications to locate people whom you would like to connect with.

Step 3: Acquire contact information

Whether it’s an email address or social media connection request, you need to be resourceful to acquire or make contact. Some email addresses will be easier to find than others so you may need to be resourceful. Consult social media, industry publications and conduct Google searches. You may be able to guess their company email address by copying the format of email addresses of other employees within the same organization.

Step 4: Create your pitch

This is the most important part. You need to grab the employer’s attention. Focus on their needs and how you would be able to meet them (for this you will have to research the company). Keep it brief and have a clear next step (e.g. that you’ll call them to follow up.) You could use the Elevator Pitch you created from the previous exercise, with some minor adjustments, when writing your email pitch.

Step 5: Follow up

Many people won’t respond to your email campaign, but some will. Don’t be afraid to call them to follow up. Be persistent, not annoying. They’re busy, but if you’re pleasant and you offering them something that they need, they may be receptive.

Sample Message: