How to Engage in Social Networks for Your Job Hunt

How to Engage in Social Networks for Your Job Hunt Social Job Seeker, Jobvites newest survey, asked job seekers how they used social networks for career advancement and job search. If you are actively or passively seeking a new opportunity, these points will help you understand how to be more pro-active in your search. Most companies hire people primarily through referrals, therefore, job search activities need to match. Focus your energy on making contact and building relationships with company insiders at specific, targeted companies. Employers Take Note Jobvites study reports 69% of employed Americans are seeking or at least open to a new job. They call them job seekers. 9% are employed and actively seeking a new job 60% are employed and open to a new job Let this be a warning to all companies! Your employees want to leave you! Having a Social Profile Isnt Enough The real value of social networking is the ability to connect and engage with people. Many people new to using social networks believe if they build it, they will come!   While that CAN happen, the true value of social networks happens when you connect with people, mine your network for meaningful industry data and trends (not job postings), and ask for advice and information. 85% of   job seekers have a Facebook profile 44% of job seekers have a LinkedIn profile 51% of job seekers have a Twitter profile What Actions Do Job Seekers Take On Social Networks? According to the responses to how job seekers are using social networks, the majority of respondents are using the first four actions. These are reactive job search actions. No wonder they 61% found it more difficult to find a job today. They are engaging in the most competitive, congested, and less productive activities. Fewer job seekers were using social networks to research or connect or even source a recruiter. Updated profile with professional information Provided your own profile on a job application or during an interview Modified privacy settings with work in mind Searched for jobs Researched a potential employer before/ during application process. Connected with a potential employer Had contact with a recruiter None of these As a matter of fact, the responses to the none of these questions were quite high across all three social networks: 48% on Facebook, 62% on LinkedIn, and 66% on Twitter. More than half of people with social network profiles are missing opportunities to use social networks and are not really users of social networks, but takers! Facebook Faux Pas The good news is that more job seekers are taking steps to professionalize their Facebook accounts by updating professional experience. But 51% of job seekers are NOT using Facebook for career gain. In other words, they did NOT do any of these things: I made new professional connections I asked a contact for help with a job search / career advice I shared a job opportunity with a contact A contact shared a job opportunity A contact referred me for a job A contact provided an employee’s perspective on a company And it seems odd that while 20% reported receiving a job lead from someone on Facebook, only 12% reported sharing job leads themselves. They must have missed the give to get message. Loosely LinkedIn 62% of job seekers with LinkedIn accounts are NOT using it for career gain. Acquiring inside information and referrals is the name of the game. Chasing posted job opportunities is highly congested, a better goal is to establish connections before the opportunity arises. Networking is a lifetime activity and not one that is used merely to find a new job. Twitter Trouble 65% of respondents reported they did not use Twitter for career gain. While they did receive referrals and job leads, only 7% shared leads themselves. The good news here is that 11% of Twitter users reported asking for insight on a company. Social Networks Are There are certain strategies social networking power-users and great marketers use to build community and it starts with creating relationship and building trust. It would benefit all job seekers to learn how to use these strategies to improve how they are leveraging the power of social networks. Here are some of the better practices of businesses on social networks: Engage in discussion with potential customer, clients, employers Pull, dont push your message. Create valuable content and draw your customers to you. (This means more than updating a profile) Give to get. In other words, help others more than you promote yourself. Uncover the needs and wants of potential customers, clients, employers and develop a campaign to reach them. Follow and engage in discussion with great thinkers. Build a tribe! Partner with organizations and people who believe in you and will help distribute your message. Systematically and purposefully grow your network with people who can help. Ask for advice and help! Be authentic but dont be vulgar. If you consider yourself a business of one, these actions should make sense. If, however, you consider yourself merely an employee looking for a job, these strategies may be difficult for you to embrace. Related: How to Dazzle Recruiters with Your Social Media Profiles Images: Jobvite  Shutterstock

Have You Ignored Your Work Life Non-Negotiables Marla Gottschalk

Have You Ignored Your Work Life Non-Negotiables Marla Gottschalk Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash In a world where we are inundated by messages concerning work career, it can be difficult to connect with our own needs. Clarity is vital to achieve work life alignment â€" and if you are struggling in some way (feeling disconnected, exhausted or frustrated), something foundational may have been overlooked. As a work life strategist, Ive learned that clients often have a sense of why things feel off-track, but they may fight or even ignore their instincts. We each have a work life blueprint, comprised of the elements that we require to become engaged and productive. Yet, over the course of time we can lose touch with our personal set of non-negotiables. We might relegate these elements as nice to haves or they have become somewhat of a moving target. This can create a host of issues. The longer we fail to acknowledge what we truly require to excel â€" the greater the potential to feel frustrated, disengaged or disconnected from our work lives. Carving out the time to focus on these elements is critical. In many cases, we over-extend ourselves and mortgage our work life future, without completing this exploration. Above all, it is essential to answer this question: What do I personally require to succeed? To explore your work life non-negotiables â€" complete the following exercise from The Core Masterclass. Begin by reflecting upon general work life topics, such as focal industry, working solo vs. within an organization, on-site vs. remote work and ideal supervisory style. Then move to consider more specific topics, such as needed rest, pace of learning/development or opportunities for creativity. Remember the list of identified elements is uniquely your own. Be honest. Be specific. Craft a vision of the elements that you require to excel. Follow these this prompt to help you: Broadly considering the roles, events and conversations that were remarkable in some way or have had a significant impact upon your work life. What stands out about these experiences? What was happening at the time in life and at work? What elements played a role in your reaction to these experiences? Overall, what elements seem to consistently energize you? Overall, what elements leave you feeling frustrated, exhausted or unmotivated? Were there elements that caused you to leave (or consider leaving) a role or organization? Were there specific elements that caused you to remain longer than you would have in another similar situation? What elements draw you toward a a role or organization? Remember to take notes. Try to record 5-10 elements. You can refine your list as you process further. Respect your list and attempt to integrate as many of your non-negotiables as reasonably possible over the longer-term. (Adjustments will take time). Remember this is a challenge. You may find that it takes time and considerable reflection to identify/align your list with your work life. However, the potential benefits are worth the trouble. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist and a charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program. Her training series The Core â€" helps people organizations build a stronger work life foundation. Her thoughts on work life have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Quartz and The Huffington Post.