Social Recruiting – The Place For Finding A Job Is Online

By Mike Dunlop

The world of employment is a world of shifting trends, just like anything else. If you’re on the job hunt nowadays, then you may find that your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profile has more of an impact on your success than traditional job boards or employment agencies.  Recruiters are now actively using social media sites to find and screen employees. In effect they’re conducting a pre-interview virtual interview.

Sound confusing? Well that means that it’s time to learn some new rules for the modern world of job hunting. As if finding a job weren’t difficult enough already! The good news is that you can leverage your social media profiles to work in your favour, and if done well you’ll have more job searching power at your fingertips than ever before. Let’s take a look at the current state of play in the social recruiting space to help you get started.

Everything’s Going Social

Years ago, companies frequently used job boards to find new hires.  They would post a new job description on the job board, and then review all the applications that came flooding in.  However, in the last few years, particularly as the economy has worsened, but also as a result of the rise of the ubiquitous Internet, the flood has become a raging torrent.

It’s not unusual for a job opening to receive thousands of applications, which means that as an applicant it’s very easy to get lost amongst the noise. Most hiring managers don’t have the time to sift through every application they receive.

At the same time, social media sites like Facebook are evolving beyond their original design. Where once these sites used to be just tools for finding old classmates and making new friends, now they are used to create professional profiles and cultivate corporate images. This is of course especially prevalent on sites geared toward business networking, like LinkedIn.  In keeping with this trend, companies have begun to find that it is sometimes easier to head-hunt the applicants directly via their social media profiles, rather than open the application flood gates to the general population.

Be Careful What You Post!

It should come as no surprise that in addition to being used to find potential employees, social media sites are now also being used to screen and eliminate job candidates. What this means for you, is that you probably shouldn’t post pictures of wild drunken nights in Cancun, Ibiza, Bali, or any of the incriminating photo hotspots. In fact, from a job seeking perspective, it’s a good idea to not post anything that gives too much detail about your private life.

However, if you must post these sorts of photos, then make sure that your security settings are absolutely water tight, and don’t forget if that friend of a friend is actually your potential new boss!  Take this one step further –remember that the same rules apply once you’ve landed the job. It’s not unusual for people to be fired because of something found on their Facebook or MySpace page.

More Than Just Skills and Experience

When companies look for new hires, they’re not just looking for someone who has the skills to do the job.  They also want a good fit; they’re looking for a team player who shares their company’s values.

Social recruiting helps hiring managers find the people they need, because they can get an overall picture of who you are and not just what you can do.

What This Means For You

If you’re working on finding a job right now, use your social media profiles to help you search.  Contact possible employers and open a dialog.  Upload your resume, references, and portfolio so that recruiters can see it.  Maximize your chances of appearing in search results by having a complete, well developed, and up to date profile.

Make sure your profile shows you at your best – remember that you don’t want anything there that might turn them off.  Expand your network to include people who work at your employer of choice. Join in conversations, develop relationships and cultivate an appealing professional relationship.

Social media sites also allow you to find out more about a company before you apply with them.  Internet-savvy companies are now blogging on their Facebook or LinkedIn pages, which should provide you with some additional insight into the company values and type of day to day work activity.  You may also be able to find some commentary from previous employees or customers about the company on the web.

Has everyone had a positive experience with the company, or is the bulk of commentary exceedingly negative?  All of these sources of information should give you a better idea of what the company’s about, which is vitally important for the health of your career.

In summary, social recruiting has come of age. Companies are now reviewing social media profiles and incorporating them into their decision to hire or not hire, so use yours to your advantage.

Author Information

Mike Dunlop works for HirePulse, the home of premium contractors, consultants and freelancers.

So, You Want To Be A Freelancer?

I try to answer most of my emails quickly and directly, but that isn’t always the case. There are times when I’m under a deadline or an emergency pops up and I’m just not able to tackle an inquiry immediately.

Sometimes, I’ll simply tweak the person’s question and post it to this blog as part of my mailbag series, leaving off the person’s name as most people would prefer anonymity. Then, I send a note thanking the person for their inquiry and supply the link to where they can find their answer.

The most frequently asked question lately seems to center on starting a freelance business, particularly as a writer. Many of our fellow bloggers hold down full time jobs and are exploring whether pursuing freelance work is right for them. Granted, I cannot give anyone a specific yes/no answer; instead, I try to impart my knowledge and leave the exploring up to them.

It seems that I am not alone when it comes to freelance inquiries as I have found a spate of posts from other freelancers who are also fielding similar inquiries. For a sampler, why not visit the following blogs to see what these freelancers have to say:

All Freelance Writing — Jennifer Mattern suggests that writers should choose a specialty when seeking a freelance career. The reasons? You’ll be much more knowledgeable about a subject and be able to command more money.

The Writer’s Manifesto — Monika Mundell shares her thoughts about freelance writing rates, discussing the disparity between article mill jobs and offline assignments. Yes, there are jobs out there that pay more per word than what some people pay for an entire article.

A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye — Lillie Ammann is at it again, offering a new article series, this one discussing how to become a freelance writer. Lillie always thoroughly covers a subject so check out her blog to follow this series as it unfolds.

I always encourage people to follow their passions when it comes to choosing any career and that is the same bit of advice I offer to prospective freelancers when pursuing a writing career. If you know that this is something you must do, then follow it with all of your heart. If not, then don’t.

Freelancing can be difficult, especially for the person whose sole bit of income is garnered from their clients. Up and down times will come and not everyone has the intestinal fortitude to stick with it.

My freelance career started in November 2002, but it wasn’t until Spring 2005 that I made the decision to stick with writing and jettison the web design part of my business. The transition was tough, but I’m now getting good paying jobs and have the luxury to cherry pick assignments.

There was a time when I said I wouldn’t work for someone full time again, but I’m not sure that’ll always be the case. Yet, where I am at this point in my career is fine with me with still loftier goals within site.

Related Story: Should you follow your passion?