Who Do You Know?
It’s somewhat of a personal question, but with your network being highly visible on social media…who you know is now one of the primary things that adds value to you as a professional during your job search. With that said, job seekers should look to their own networks to find value in their personal connections. In short, the answer to the question above is: You don’t really know who you know until you do some digging. Ask for introductions, and offer introductions in return.
Ensure Your Profile Aligns with Your Actions
Working with job seekers every day consistently opens our eyes to the fact that what people think that others naturally see and understand about them is not always accurate. If I promote myself as open minded and then showcase far left or far right political content on my Facebook posts…well, perception is reality to the viewers and I’ll be on the other side of a view point 50% of the time.
Be Cognizant of Your Activities
Do you Tweet each day? Do you do it between 8a and 5pm? Even if a larger portion of employees are working under a more flexible timeframe, these business hours still apply to most companies. If you post during business hours, this gives the impression that you’re being a little too “social” during work hours.
Another Note About Connections
One additional note about your network…retrace your roots and strategically grow who you are connected to. If you’re applying for a highly technical role, the more developers and IT brethren you have in your network the more likely the perception that you live and breathe emerging technology.
Social media is no longer a pastime affair, it is a living breathing entity that either helps you or hinders you, all depending on how and when you use it.
ECP Can Help
The hands-on Career Strategist team at Executive Career Partners can help drive your job change to a successful conclusion much faster than you can on your own. To learn more, click here.
