Communications of the ACM
What Job Seekers Need to Know in Today's Digital Market
Credit: Today in Art
What do you need in order to be successful in today's digital job market? Those seeking their next dream job should cultivate their online presence and contacts strategically in places where employers will be on the lookout for the best talent. According a recent survey of more than 3,000 companies, social media has flourished as a burgeoning recruitment strategy, becoming a more mainstream approach for companies of all sizes and industries. For job seekers, social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter have established new ways of getting discovered by employers, as well as directly reaching recruiters and hiring managers.
In today's digital market, your social media profiles are just as important as your resume. 36% of companies surveyed are using social media for recruiting. In today's competitive market, recruiters look for the most current information on candidates, which is readily and easily available on social networks. Job seekers should actively include links to their complete and up-to-date Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter profiles in their applications. Be sure to use social news streams as a dynamic extension of your traditional resume. Job hopefuls should share interesting and relevant news about their industries and areas of expertise, demonstrating their knowledge and experience. Social media enables a candidate to stand out, to be more noticeable, to differentiate oneself from the masses and to tell the whole story behind and beyond a one-page resume. When contributing to your news streams and profiles, choose current topics of interest, start participating in discussions about your professional field and industry trends, and share your own hands-on tricks of the trade. Additionally, follow the influencers in your field via Twitter, contribute to the discussion and share it with others who might be interested.
There was a time when contacting recruiters on job sites and boards was difficult, and proactively reaching out to hiring managers was nearly impossible. Many companies even highlight their recruiters on job postings; not only can you contact a recruiter directly, but you can often view recruiters' and hiring managers' social media profiles before contacting them. Job seekers need to connect to recruiters who are hiring in their field and location. If you don't know them directly, subscribe to them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter to stay current on all job openings. More companies than ever are cutting their job advertising budgets, opting to channel their recruiting efforts through referral hiring. Nearly 44% of companies use referral hiring, and 49% tap into alumni networks in order to recruit. Companies are drawing on their employees' social networks to share jobs and attract the most qualified candidates. The more extensive your personal network is, the greater your odds of encountering these unadvertised job opportunities. Grow your networks by reaching out and connecting to people with whom you have either professional or personal relationships.
From Mashable
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