The Job Hunt

Video credit: Employers looking at social media accounts when you apply for a job – posted by WXYZ-TV Detroit Channel 7 on YouTube

Think

I'm looking for a job. The first thing I would do is...
- look for jobs on job hunting sites
- make sure my social media profiles look professional
- ask my friends if they know of any job openings
That is one way. Job hunting sites like indeed.ca are a good way to find a job online. You may also want to make sure that your social media profiles look professional as most companies now encourage you to add linkedIn or Twitter accounts to your profile. Take a look at Your Online Brand to learn tips about managing your social media profiles. Alternatively, you can also use social media to connect with friends to learn about their job or to ask them if they know of any job openings.
You're on the right track! You will want to make sure that your social media profiles look professional as most companies now encourage you to add them on linkedIn or Twitter. Take a look at Your Online Brand to learn about managing your social media profiles. Alternatively, you can also use social media to connect with friends to learn about their job or to ask them if they know of any job openings.
Good choice! As the video indicates, 65% of positions are filled through connections. Connecting with your friends is a good opportunity to learn about different companies and find out about job openings. Make sure that all your social media profiles look professional so that your friends or potential employers will know what kind of skills you have. Take a look at Your Online Brand to learn about tips to manage your social media profiles.
After I uploaded my resume to a job board website, an HR Manager from company A has offered me a job position. I will...
- accept the job offer! Sounds good!
- be freaked out. How do they know my phone number?
- be skeptical. Is this company really legit?
You might want to think about it first before you accept the job offer. Sometimes a job can be too good to be true. You may want to ask Human Resources for more information and search for the name of the company online.
When you upload your resume to a job board website, potential employers will have access to the information on your resume. If you are concerned about your privacy, you may want to leave your email address as a primary contact instead of your phone number.
Good choice. Even though legitimate employers will contact you over the phone, you should always learn more about the company that has contacted you and the job they have available before you consider accepting it.
I created a linkedIn profile. Now I should...
- make sure my job title, description and skills are consistent with my resume
- connect with my classmates, coworkers and friends
- share or write an article that is related to my industry
It is important to make sure your online identity is consistent with your resume. Make sure your name, job title, descriptions and skills are consistent across your social media profiles.
LinkedIn is a good devise for connecting with your coworkers, classmates and colleagues. Build your connections by engaging with your network.
Writing or sharing an article that is related to your industry will help you develop your online brand by contributing to the community.

Explore

Can your online reputation influence your career? How?

Throughout the United States and Canada, employers have been asking for employees social media passwords. The US Congress blocked an amendment to the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) which would have outlawed “employers demanding that prospective employees disclose social media passwords as a condition of employment”.

In Canada, “legislation across the board is more stringent than what’s in place in the U.S”. Canadian job seekers have slightly more legal protection but they still need to be wary. Some jobs offer apps where you can apply though social media sites like LinkedIn which allows potential employers to view your entire profile. This shouldn’t be an issue for most people as LinkedIn accounts are designed for professional networking.

Remember ‘resume banks’ like monster.ca? Potential employers could search these sites to find their dream candidate. If you aren’t convinced about resume banks, don’t worry – many employers aren’t either. According to Today.com, “employers and recruiters are sifting through the LinkedIn and Twitter pages of prospective job candidates and reaching out to them directly”. Candidates today need to worry about their “de facto resumés” as much as traditional candidates worry about their paper resumes.

Social Media is an essential tool to connect with the job market. The first step is to create a LinkedIn profile. Make sure your profile is more then just a bare bones resume. Connect with others by joining professional groups, follow companies you admire to learn about the industry, and receive updates on job postings. LinkedIn also encourages user to endorse their connections’ skills. Go ahead and endorse your classmate’s presentation skills on that class project, they may endorse your editing in return. Finally, LinkedIn is encouraging users to upload recent work samples. That infographic you made for your last class discussion could be the first step toward your dream job.

You can also use Twitter to connect with job opportunities. Be sure to have a 140 character elevator pitch ready, you never know what might come your way.

In today’s competitive job market, it’s essential that you take advantage of every tool that is available to you. Social media is just one more tool that you can use to reach out to potential employers and form new connections that might land you that dream job. But be careful, social media can be a double-edged sword.

Here are some things to consider for your job hunt:

Are you findable online? Search your name and explore what you find. If you’re not findable, then you’re not helping yourself. Be sure to cultivate an online presence that best represents your professional interests. If you’re findable online, what do your social media profiles say about you? Make sure you’re not overexposing yourself.
In addition to social media, creating an e-portfolio will help demonstrate some of your best qualities.
When you’re using social media, be a productive part of the community and not just someone looking to take. Contribute to discussions and complete as much of your profile as you can, including adding a professional photo to your LinkedIn account.
While networking on social media can lead to job opportunities, outright asking for a job usually won’t. Leverage connections to find out more information about companies that you would want to work for and that are also hiring.

Discuss

The Digital Tattoo Project encourages critical discussion on topics surrounding digital citizenship and online identity. There are no correct answers and every person will view these topics from a different perspective. Be sure to complete the previous sections before answering the questions.

Do you think potential employers judge you based on your digital identity?
Is it important to cultivate a professional online presence?

One response to “The Job Hunt”

Joey Levesque March 16, 2015 at 9:25 pm Permalink | Reply

I think it’s important to note that Canada’s communications security agency has very little oversight – especially given the pending legislation (C-51).

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