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How Job Seekers Are Using Social Media for Real Results

2010-03-08 16:02
The Real Results series is supported by Gist, an online service that helps you build stronger relationships. By connecting your inbox to the web, you get business-critical information about key people and companies. See how it works here.Whether you 8217;re looking for your first job, exploring a career change, or just setting yourself up for future success, social media sites have proven themselves as important platforms forВ facilitatingВ connections, demonstrating passions and interests, and ultimately landing you the job you actually want.We know it 8217;s possible to land a job with social media know-how but the bigger question is how В In putting together this post we turned to those with the most knowledge on the subject matter: individuals who have secured jobs thanks to social media.Because of these personal stories we were able to identify common trends and themes contributing to their real results.В Keep reading to hear how job candidates are taking risks, discovering that their online presence has real value, and engineering their own success through social media.Taking RisksIn our research on the subject one thing rang loud and clear 8212; social media sites allow job seekers to take risks, and more often than not those risks are received well by potential employers.Risks worth taking:1. Put yourself out there: The nature of social media is such that you could be conversing with important people in public channels at any given time. It may be intimidating to use Twitter or Facebook to communicate with an individual you don 8217;t know, but taking the initial risk and putting yourself out there is the best way to show you 8217;re serious about the position or opportunity you seek. If you can get past the initial fear of communicating with a complete stranger, you 8217;ll have a much better chance of landing the job you want.David Cohen took a risk and used Facebook IM to ping a contact 8212; merely a friend of a friend 8212; when he learned that the man in question had recently started his own Internet marketing agency. Prior to that small act of bravery, Cohen, a recent college graduate, had spent months looking for a job with no success. The social media maneuver, however, ended up making all the difference. I randomly hit up a guy on chat that I knew through some acquaintances who recently had broke off from his parent company to launch his own internet marketing business in early 2009, said Cohen. He basically told me to come on in and meet his partner and have a small interview ... I am now the resident social media coordinator, blogger and general office helper for the small start-up company. This all happened because I took a risk and sent a Facebook IM to this man. 2. Match application style to the position:It 8217;s definitely risky to take an unconventional approach to the typically staunch application process, but doing so might make you stand out from all the rest.Scott James did just this when applying for a social med...
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