Use Social for Your Job Search

Many of us regularly use social media. It’s an easy way to entertain and be entertained, even when it leans to the  embarrassing. Posting a picture on Facebook from the bachelor party that shows you duck-facing the camera with a bottle of champagne in hand is likely to get a laugh from your friends — none of whom are actually in the market to hire you.

When you’re job hunting, it’s a great idea to work with social media. This means taking advantage of the great communication tools available on the Internet to help you find the ideal job, at the ideal salary, in the ideal location. That could mean:

1.  writing an industry-related blog or being a regular contributor to one,
2. participating in online discussion groups, or 
3. sharing videos that demonstrate your abilities.

What's encouraging is that employers actually are sitting by their computers, waiting to hear from you. Joining discussions about your field of interest,  answering or asking questions that contribute to the discussion, is the best use of social media for your job search.

If you are a graphic designer, your Facebook updates and discussions could feature topical content: good design or typography found in your community, posts from your blog, and interesting news about the field.

Another way to make an impression is to use YouTube to showcase your editing and multimedia skills or to showcase a video portfolio, or create tutorials for others in your industry . It’s not that easy to convey personality in text alone (i.e. a resume and cover letter), video offers a great way to use audio, video and creative editing to introduce yourself.