6 Tips for Job Searching in the Digital Age

digital job searchGone are the days of scouring the local newspaper for “Help Wanted” ads. Looking online for a job is the new normal: according to a 2015 Pew Research Study, more than half (54%) of U.S. adults have gone online to look for job information and 45% have applied for a job online.

Here are some strategies to help you efficiently search for employment and stand out from the competition.

Tip 1: Establish yourself as a thought leader

Start associating your professional brand with thought leadership in your industry by creating and sharing relevant content on a blog and/or through social media. Both of these methods enable you to show your expertise in a topic and build relationships with your community by reading other people’s blogs, and commenting and starting conversations on social networks.

If having your own blog is too much of a commitment, guest blogging can also be a great way of getting your name out there and driving traffic to your social accounts.

On Twitter, sharing thoughts and links related to your field using relevant hashtags can promote your visibility in the industry. Other sites, such as Medium, can also be a way of getting your name associated with a certain topic or industry.

Tip 2: Keep it professional

Keeping your online presence professional is key to preserving your job opportunities. Make sure you:

  • Hide unprofessional photos
  • Keep personal accounts private
  • Search yourself regularly to make sure all content with your name is positive
  • Don’t advertise any beliefs that may alienate employers

Tip 3: Create a résumé infographic to display on accounts

Posting a visually impressive résumé on your blog and social accounts can allow potential employers to easily check out your qualifications. The following websites can help you create a résumé that hiring managers will remember:

http://kinzaa.com/

https://www.canva.com/create/resumes/

http://vizualize.me/

Make sure your résumé also has key phrases employers are looking for, especially the ones you submit through online applications.

Tip 4: Follow and engage with influencers in your field

Look through hashtags relevant to your industry on Twitter, such as #ProjectManagement or #Tech, and see whose tweets are the most popular or who tweets the most often, and follow them.

Tip 5: Set up alerts for the industry and employers

Google alerts enable users to keep tabs on new content posted online by emailing updates of Google search results based on selected terms. For example, setting Google alerts for “human resources” or “mental health” will keep you updated on the latest news in these topics. You can also set up alerts as RSS feeds and use Google Reader if you don’t want to crowd your inbox.

Tip 6: Use social media to find jobs

According to the Pew study, 35% of U.S. adults have used social media to look for work. Although LinkedIn is the social network with the most emphasis on careers and job placement, Twitter also provides opportunities. Follow your favorite companies so you know when they have openings, and search phrases like “data scientist” or “jobs Miami” and hashtags such as #Hiring, #NowHiring, #Jobs, #Careers, #JobOpening, #JobListing and #GraduateJobs. Researching industry- and career-specific hashtags like #TechJobs, #Marketing and #Freelance is also a good way to find jobs in your field.

On LinkedIn, make sure your profile is completely filled out and optimized so you can get recruiters looking at you

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  1. James Bergman

    Social media is a great place to look for local job openings. This is especially true when you are just looking for a part time job. However, I think it is still a good idea to go through employment agencies as well. It means a little less work for you while you are continuing your search.

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  3. Ivy Baker

    I had no idea that 35 percent of business use social media to promote that they are hiring. That does seem like a good place to look that not everyone would think of. So, it would probably help you get the job over a lot of others. It might also be a good idea to look into job placement agency to help with the search as well.

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