7 ways to use social media to find your perfect job by Carlos Gil on May 16, 2014

7 ways to use social media to find your perfect job by Carlos Gil on May 16, 2014 Share: 3 Ways (3)Finding a job today is a full-time job that requires determination and persistence. Whether you’re currently unemployed, or employed but looking for a better job, the process can be frustrating and time consuming without having done the proper research or a network to lean on. With social media, every professional from a recent college graduate to a C-level executive has access to the same tools and resources that makes the job search process easier than one might think. Here are my seven favorite resources for helping people find a new career using social media. 1. LinkedIn Groups LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups, take advantage of this feature and join the maximum number. By joining a group, LinkedIn grants you access to connect with members of the group that helps you grow your first-degree network and communicate through direct messaging. For job seekers, having access to recruiters and hiring managers is a valuable commodity. In addition to HR/recruiting groups, join groups that are relevant to your industry or profession. Top LinkedIn groups for job seekers include: Linked:HR (#1 Human Resources Group) Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections (1.7 million members) The Recruiter Network (#1 Group for Recruiters) 2. Twitter Chats Twitter chats are a great way to engage in dialogue with job search experts, mostly recruiters, and grow your network too. Twitter chats such as #JobHuntChat (every Monday at 10pm EST) #HFChat (Friday’s at noon EST) and #TChat (Wednesdays at 7pm EST) are free, can be followed from your PC or mobile device, and feature career advice and tips from HR professionals, employers, recruiters, resume writers, and job seekers too. 3. Twitter Experts Overall, Twitter is a great resource for job seekers. It provides users with access to follow, and engage, with social media rock stars, brands, and recruiters behind the brands. Today, most companies place a major emphasis on social media for recruiting so it’s not too hard to find recruiters at major brands on Twitter. Following job-related Twitter experts also provides job seekers with insight related to job openings, tips, and access to some of the top hiring brands. Good job-search Twitter experts to follow are: @JobHuntOrg: Susan Joyce (real name) has created a list of the top recruiting brands on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/JobHuntOrg/lists/employers-recruiting. Follow these company handles for daily job updates. Susan’s tweets mostly direct users to valuable career articles. @Blogging4Jobs: Jessica Merrill is one of my favorite people to follow on social media, period. Her blog is a powerful HR and recruiting resource. In addition, her tweets provide job seekers with insight from an insider point of view. @alevit: Alexandra Levit is a workplace author and go-to expert for trends, including skills college grads can use to get hired. Tweets include everything from Gen Y advice to ways to reduce stress. Click here for a full list of the Top 100 HR resources/experts on Twitter. 4. Facebook Career Pages While most Facebook users tend to overlook its usefulness as a resource for job hunting, several notable brands actively have a Facebook presence for recruiting. Not only do brands maintain career pages to post jobs but most recruiters use Facebook as a search tool to screen candidates. In addition to job openings, use Facebook pages to learn more about the company/brand. Some great career pages on Facebook include: Home Depot Careers Verizon Careers Publix Careers 5. Social Meetup Sites Use sites like Meetup or Eventbrite to search for job events in your area and see who you may know already that’s attending one of these events. Whether it’s a networking mixer or a job fair, you can begin to engage for these events well ahead of time by leveraging social media to build conversation and awareness. If you’re job hunting, engage with the event organizers and if you get lucky you might just wind up with a listing of what employers will be there. 6. Your Own Blog Writing and creating content on your own is one of the best ways to prove you should be in a certain role without even interviewing. While blogs are often overlooked, they provide for great validation in lieu thereof a traditional resume or portfolio. If you’re not savvy with WordPress, or Tumblr, inquire about guest blogging for a site that aligns with your expertise or industry. 7. Finally, Your Personal Social Network Your biggest asset in social media is your own social network. If you’re actively engaging on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook you should be well on your way to building key relationships and your own brand identity. In a time of need, or crisis, your personal social network can help you discover opportunities which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. My advice to job seekers, start within your inner circles before you let the world know that you’re actively searching. —-

Group Interview

To successfully handle a group interview, take time in advance to prepare. Ask who you will be interviewing with and ask for their names. That way, you can bring a copy of your resume for each interviewer and it will be easier to remember who's who. Check the LinkedIn Profiles of your interviewers so you can get insight into their role at the company and their background. Review the interview questions that are typically asked during this type of job interview. Be sure to research the company ahead of time. The more you know about the company, the easier it will be to respond to questions. Bring a notepad and pen and take notes. Again, it will be easier to keep track of the interview if you are able to jot down some notes. Connect With the Interviewers Connect with the group as well as the individual interviewers. When one panelist asks a question, respond directly to him or her, but also make eye contact with the rest of the group as you're answering. The more engaged you are - with everyone - the better impression you'll make. Try to find out a little about your interviewers if you have the opportunity during the early stages of the interview. Ask for their job titles and departments if that information has not been furnished with an agenda for your visit. Inquire about how they interface with the position for which you are interviewing. This information will help you to anticipate what they might be looking for in a candidate. When you are given the chance to pose questions in the later stages of the interview, try to frame questions geared toward the roles of as many of the interviewers as possible. For example, you might ask "Bob, given your role with the advertising department what would you most like to see in the new sales manager?" Pay attention to the group dynamics. How does everyone get along? What type of interaction do they have? Is it positive? You're interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you and it's important to see how you will fit in, if you're hired. If you're not comfortable with the synergy between the panelists, think about what it will be like to work with them when making a decision on accepting a job offer. Follow Up After the Interview Ask for business cards and send a thank you note to everyone you interviewed with. If you don't get a chance to collect business cards, send a thank you note to the person who arranged the interview. If you do get contact information, compose an individual thank you letter to each interviewer. Incorporate a line or two referencing something specific which you learned from them about the organization. Another approach is to mention an asset which would help you to work productively with that person. Research the Company Before you go on a job interview, it's important to find out as much as you can about the company. That way you'll be prepared both to answer interview questions and to ask the interviewer questions. More Job Interview Tips Tips for phone interviews, second interviews, lunch and dinner interviews, behavioral interviews, interviewing in public, and more advice for interview success. Job Interview Videos For more interview tips and advice, take a look at our job interview videos. Share a Job Interview Tip Add your job interview tip to our list. Group Interviews Types of Job Interviews Group Interview Questions Panel Job Interview Job Interview Tips Job Interview Tips Interview Questions and Answers How to Dress for a Job Interview Job Interview Tips Job Interview Etiquette Tips Top 10 Interview Tips Job Interview Preparation Tips Related Articles What is a Job Interview Like? First Job Interview Tips Job Interview Advice, Tips and Questions Group Interview Definition Interview Tips: 5 Common Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them