Apr 10
7
Social Media and the Job Hunt – a panel discussion
Given the current economy and high unemployment rate, many recruiters, hiring managers, job seekers, networkers, and job placement firms are embracing social networking sites for help. LinkedIn and Twitter are seen as a great sites to get information quickly about potential new hires, companies, industry trends, job search tools, and late-breaking news.
I attended a very timely, well organized social media event recently that confirmed once again the expanding role that social networking is playing for recruiters, companies, job seekers, and networkers.
On Tuesday, March 30, SMCEDU-RVA (the Richmond, VA chapter of Social Media Club Education Connection) partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University to host a panel discussion entitled – “Social Media and the Job Hunt.”
The event was moderated by Nhat Pham (@Nhat Pham), of SUCCESSWERKS, and sponsored by RichmondJobNet. Also present was Sara Dunnigan (@RichmondJobNet), who posts many job openings on a daily basis via Twitter, and provides a huge benefit of all Richmond job seekers.
The panelists included were:
David Nour (@davidnour): Consultant, Professional Speaker, Author of RELATIONSHIP ECONOMICS
Candace Nicolls (@cjsn): Recruiting manager at Ironworks Consulting
Lauren Rinker (@lauren_rinker): Copywriter at Royall and Company
The audience enjoyed hearing about various social media sites – the differences, and value they bring, and some best practices to keep in mind for brand building as it relates to a job search. Insight was offered for the potential value that a blog can bring to differentiate oneself in today’s job market.
LinkedIn, Twitter, SlideShare, and YouTube were the social networking sites of choice. All panelists agreed that LinkedIn is probably the most widely used professional network, connecting professionals, job seekers, networkers, companies, recruiters, and hiring managers. Twitter can be a great resource for gathering valuable content on just about everything, from job seekers, career sites, companies, events, trends, late-breaking news, views, industry highlights, and recommendations.
Some takeaways were:
* Engage, listen, and interact. Share content, DON’T sell. Add value, avoid NEGATIVE comments.
* Go beyond social media — call contacts, follow-up, maintain relationships.
* Be prepared — use social media to research companies, hiring managers PRIOR to interview.
* Keep online presence consistent across social media sites — keep profiles current and accurate.
* Be an asset, a problem solver — help recruiters solve challenges, build relationships, and find ways to differentiate
yourself others.
* Research to learn about companies, job interviewers, and company personnel — use LinkedIn or Google to find as much
valuable information as possible to help prep for an interview.
For the complete Examiner article, click Social Media and the Job Hunt (SMCEDU-RVA event), for more details.
