Description of how to use social media to get a job by Barbara Bix, BB Marketing Plus

1. Using Social Media
In Your Job Search
For Tufts Alumni by Barbara Bix, BB Marketing Plus, in November 2009

2. What are you hoping to get out
of tonight’s session?

3. What does a job search involve?
• Cultivating a network
• Information interviews
• Making a positive
impression
• Standing out from the
crowd
• Cementing relationships
• Staying top of mind
• In short, lots of social
skills

4. Social media can
accelerate the
process

5. What is social media?
• Blogs, and Linked In, and
Twitter—Oh my!
– Set of technologies that
facilitate online interaction
– Enables participants to
discover, share, and discuss
content (asynchronously)

6. Social media is about
online conversations
• Blogs
• Microblogs
• Communities
• Networks

7. It begins with listening
• Learn about market trends,
industries, companies, people
• Use social aggregators:
– www.backtype.com
– www.socialmention.com
• Use bookmarking sites
– www.digg.com
– www.stumbleupon.com

8. But you also want to demonstrate
that you have what employers seek
• Expertise
• Experience
• Knowledge
• Energy
• Attitude
• Professionalism

9. Social media can
help you raise
others’
awareness of
these strengths

10. Here’s how:

11. Blogs
What are Interactive journals
they?
How do Read to stay
you use current, uncover
them? trends
Write to establish
yourself as a
thought leader,
attract attention

12. Read others’ blogs to stay current &
uncover trends and opportunities
• Use blogs to complement trade
journals
• Tools
– Search
– Alerts
– RSS feeds
– Readers
– Bookmarking sites

13. Use blogs to establish
yourself as a thought leader
• Create your own blog
– Example:
http://solutionmarketingblog.com/
– Tools
“Theblog • Wordpress, Blogspot, Typepad
demonstrates my – Get found: Optimize your blog
capabilities and
showcases my • Comment on others’ blogs
work”

14. Microblogs
What are Messaging tools (such as Twitter,
they? status updates)
How do Read to stay current, uncover trends
you use
them? Write to establish yourself as a thought
leader, stay top of mind
Build your network
Postings

15. Stay current, uncover trends
• Identify and “Follow”
thought leaders
• Set up search strings to
monitor breaking news
• Tools
– Twitter Search
– Tweetdeck
– # Tags (e.g. #jobsearch,
#socmedia)

16. Establish thought leadership, stay top of
mind, build your network
• Complements email
– Associate your profile with news
others find interesting
– Encourages others to follow you
• Tools
– Direct message (DM)
– Reply (@)
– Retweet others’ posts (RT)

17. Postings
• Search “Job
Opportunity Boston”
• Follow local companies
that have twitter job
feeds
– @forresterjobs
– @EMCCareers
– @Raytheon_jobs

18. Communities What Online
are watercoolers
they?
How do Converse with
you use others that share
them? your interests
Build your network

19. Converse with peers
• Join an existing
community to build
your professional
network (e.g.
www.wikibon.org)
• Search for Boston
meetups and
tweetups
• Start your own
community

20. Reviews
What User references
are
they?
How do
you use • People references
them? (LI)
• Company references
(such as
www.glassdoor.com

21. Social Networks
What Community Centers
are
they?
How do
you use • Network development
them? • Network maintenance
• Network nurture

22. LinkedIn: The Job Search Hub
• Resume
• Cover letter
• References
• Also includes:
– Blog
– Microblog
– Communities
– Q and A, Slide share, book reviews

23. LinkedIn tips
• Use the status update regularly
• Comment on others’ updates
• Find out if company is
growing/shrinking
• Think about what you want
your references to say
• Add key words to your profile

24. Facebook • That’s where your closest
relationships are
• The venue builds closer
bonds
• Pictures of kids, dogs
strengthen personal bond
• Cast a wide net, 50% of
your contacts aren’t using
LinkedIn
Source isTweet to link from Keppie careers http://bit.ly/1oVLDm

25. Who has used
• For a job search?
social media?
• LinkedIn?
• Facebook?
• Twitter?
• How?

26. Tell us about your social
media successes!

27. Tip: Be a good
conversationalist
• Listen more than you
speak
• Engage and encourage
engagement
• Have something
interesting to say

28. Tip: Cultivate relationships
• Follow conversational leads
– Status links
– Blogs
• Acknowledge others’
accomplishments
• Retweet their tweets
• Reference their content
• Follow up and follow through

29. Tip: Give before you get
• Know what matters to your
network
– Read their status updates
– Keep abreast of trends and
posts that may affect them
• Provide value
– Contribute content that they’ll
find of interest
– Forward useful information

30. Tip: Let everyone know that
you’re looking—and for what
• Tweet
• Status bars
– LinkedIn
– Facebook

31. Tip: Showcase your
expertise
• Resumes and references
on LinkedIn
• Blog
• Digg, Delicious,
Stumbleupon
• Comments on other blogs
• Comments in communities
• Q and A on LinkedIn

32. Tip: Identify target companies
• Use LI to find out:
– Who’s hiring (group job
opps)
– Company growth rate:
Number of new hires,
number of people who
left
– Where former
colleagues work

33. Tip: Prepare for interviews
• Read the company blog
• Read competitors’ blogs
• Follow industry trends
• Use LI to learn about the
people with whom you’ll be
interviewing
• Use www.glassdoor.com to
get the inside scoop

34. Tip: Stay top of mind
• Tweet
• Update your status
bar regularly
• Post to LinkedIn
communities
• Answer questions

35. Tip: The Internet is
permanent and searchable
• Consider optimizing your
posts
• Consciously choose your
on-line persona
– Venues
– Connections
– Content
– Tone

36. Tip:
Make a good
impression
• Be professional
• Be helpful
• Be a team player

37. Tip: Track what’s being
said about you
• You can’t control
what people say
• You can notice and
follow up
• Google alerts,
Twitter mention,
etc.

38. What are your
concerns about
using social
media?

39. What’s your social networking
plan for:
• Cultivating a network?
• Identifying
opportunities?
• Preparing for interviews?
• Showcasing your
expertise?
• Staying top of mind?

40. • Improve
efficiency with
General tips aggregators,
filters, and
search tools
• Use social
media to
supplement,
not replace
other activities

41. Get started today
• Follow experts in your field
• Identify some good places
to work in your chosen
locale
• Polish your Linked In profile
• Provide value to your
network

42. MORE Resources
• Chris Brogan Ebook:
www.chrisbrogan.com/free-ebook-using-the-
social-web-to-find-work/
• BB Marketing Plus blog
http://www.bbmarketingplus.com/blog
• Follow me on Twitter@bbmarketingplus

43. Thank you!
• Barbara Bix, BB Marketing Plus
• High- tech, health care, and
professional service marketing
• Leveraging customer knowledge to:
– Develop compelling value propositions
– Stay top of mind
– Accelerate revenues
• www.bbmarketingplus.com