| Hire Ed
| By Jennifer Phillips
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| Hire Ed |
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One of the oldest rules of career development holds true during the current economic downturn: It’s who you know. According to Stanford University Sociology Professor Mark Granovetter, between 50 and 70 percent of jobs are discovered through networking. Navigating today’s challenging job market, one’s personal contacts are needed more than ever. The wise use of online social-networking tools can be an economical, if not highly effective, means of organizing your existing contacts, expanding your professional network and promoting yourself as a worthwhile hire.
Online social-networking hubs such as Facebook (facebook.com) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com) are two prominent examples of sites that can help your job search. By the end of 2008, Facebook reported more than 140 million active users, with their fastest growing demographic being those 25 to 34 years old; LinkedIn reported more than 30 million users. These and similar online communities are also expanding the tools they provide—tools that allow users to post résumés, upload their latest work, search for jobs, and much more. “The kinds of things LinkedIn is doing are truly shaping the way professionals work,” says Dipchand Nishar, who recently left Google to become LinkedIn’s vice president of products (WSJ, 12/11/08). |
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Many of these online tools are not only simple to access but also free. However, the “benefit-to-harm” ratio of using these networks deserves consideration by anyone who is currently (or plans to begin) representing herself or himself online. To reap the greatest benefit from your efforts, be sure to avoid common pitfalls:
- Thoughtfully represent yourself. There are many examples of users finding employment through successful online promotion, but also nightmarish tales exist of lost job opportunities and tarnished reputations due to inappropriate pictures, comments, etc. It is easy and increasingly common for potential employers to search for Web activity of prospective employees, and unprofessional behavior online can have negative consequences in the job market.
- Be aware of how others represent you. Everything and anything you can do wrong on your own, your online contacts can do for you. Do not “friend” someone on Facebook, MySpace or similar sites whom you do not trust to respect your public profile.
- Regulate all your online profiles. You may use your LinkedIn account to promote yourself professionally and post images of your artwork on Facebook, but don’t forget to delete that much less professional MySpace profile you set up as a college freshman.
- Take yourself seriously. If you don’t represent yourself professionally, how can you expect others to take you seriously? Don’t use e-mail addresses or online “handles” that will sound ridiculous to prospective employers—“Sweetie4U” or “BigBeerBear” will probably not support the professional first impression you want to make.
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Once you’ve made sure to avoid social-networking pitfalls, there are many easy ways to use the networks to your professional advantage:
- Review and update existing online profiles. Double-check all online profiles to ensure you are representing yourself in an accurate, positive and professional manner. This doesn’t mean profiles can’t be fun, but never forget that this information is public.
- Create a professional profile. If you already have a personal profile, consider starting a strictly business profile to provide some balance online. When listing work experience and skills, keep your descriptions as concise as possible—just as in a cover letter and résumé, keep it punchy, relevant and thoroughly proofread.
- Note in your profile that you are looking for a job. It’s easy to overlook this simple but crucial step.
If you want others to help you get the word out about your job search, you need to get the ball rolling.
- Build your online network. Use the built-in applications on social networking Web sites to search for contacts from your e-mail address book, companies you’ve worked for in the past, schools you attended, and so forth.
- Be creative. There is plenty of room for creative self-promotion online, but make sure you keep it appropriate and non-intrusive. Discover new ways of highlighting your skills and experience, such as updating your status to reflect new projects you take on; blogging your thoughts about timely industry news; or e-mailing contacts when you’ve posted new artwork.
- Promote your value as an employee. Ask past employers or co-workers to recommend you online; there is a built-in application on LinkedIn that makes this quite simple, and recommendations are immediately visible on your profile.
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Remember that online networking tools are just that—tools, not automatic solutions. You still have a telephone for making cold calls; an e-mail account for following up on applications submitted; industry events for in-person networking; as well as many traditional online job boards to browse—Careerbuilder, Craigslist, HotJobs, Indeed and Monster, as well as Linkedin’s own job board.
Call or visit the Office of Career Development for assistance on your résumés and cover letters; to request helpful lists of industry organizations and publications; or to make an appointment for a counseling session to help you better navigate the current job market. |
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