Over the last five to ten years, social media has revolutionised the communication process for those recruiting and for those who seek to develop their careers. In Australia, LinkedIn alone has over 11 million users. For many professions, social media has become the prime means of networking with the view to career development.
For those who are fortunate enough to have skills for which demand is greater than supply, social media can be a powerful passive source of job offers. For those whose skills are part of a more competitive market, a more active social media involvement can be an effective means of improving your visibility in the market. This blog aims to provide tips on effective communication with prospective employers and/or recruiters through social media.
Keep your Profile Updated
There is plenty of advice on the web as to how to develop your profile as a career tool. Once developed, to maintain it as a career development tool, ensure it is kept up to date.
Engage with Relevant Parties
Become followers of recruiters who are specialists in recruiting your industry or your area of expertise, and with employers who you can realistically regard as prospective employers. Doing so will identify you as a prospective candidate when they are searching for specific skills.
If you are an Active Job Seeker – Communicate It.
If you are unemployed, state your current status as, “Actively Seeking Employment” or similar.
On LinkedIn if you are either unemployed or open to considering alternative opportunities, you can communicate this on your profile by activating the “Open to Work” feature. Recruiters often use this as a filtering tool to reduce profiles searched from hundreds or thousands, to a more manageable number.
How to Respond to Social Media Communications
Responses to requests to join a network should be relatively straight forward. On the other hand, when you are responding to an approach about a job, it is an ideal opportunity to communicate your receptiveness or otherwise to such opportunities. Accepting such requests and responding to them is a powerful means of communicating whether you are currently open to opportunities or that you may be in future.
If you aren’t interested in being approached about career opportunities, saying so will assist you to avoid unwelcome future approaches. If you ignore such approaches, the sender will likely assume that you aren’t open to current or future job offers. Be aware, doing so may not be such a wise strategy if in the future, your employment situation changes, and you may welcome being approached about such opportunities.
For many professionals, social media has become an essential tool in the process of career development. Avoid ambiguity when communicating with individuals or organisations who approach you with job opportunities as subliminal messages, as they may be misinterpreted to your detriment.
