1. PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL NETWORKING: FIND YOUR PERFECT (OR ALMOST PERFECT) JOB! Heather Fox, Brittany Nims, Carly Pavlik & Erica Rosenthal PRL 530 Special Topics Presentation March 23, 2010

2. WHY IS PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL NETWORKING SO IMPORTANT? Internet and Web sites are becoming more legitimate sources of information Companies are using social media to attract job applicants & to showcase their own work Job applications have been available via the Internet: this is just the next step Several companies also have Facebook/Twitter, and suggest you find them/follow them

3. GENERAL JOB SEARCHING: BECOMING OBSOLETE? According to Beyond.com (online network of niche career opportunities): “…In addition to other methods of traditional job searching such as university career centers, corporate websites, and personal networking survey participants ranked online job boards among their top choices to find employment. When searching for jobs online, most students prefer niche job boards over general job boards because these sites offer more targeted job search results and a greater variety of relevant job opportunities. “

4. OUR AGENDA Professional social networking Web sites & examples BrandYourself (Web site & online) Effective & legitimate PR job search engines Putting it all together on an RSS feed, like Netvibes Future of professional social networking

5. USING PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES TO LAND A JOB Your individual networking site profile tells potential employers a lot about who you are and why they should connect with/hire you The time you invest in your networks is what you’ll get out of them Staying on top of your networks is essential to reach the professionals that are constantly participating and communicating

6. Has more than 60 million registered users Cultivates relationships Finds people you need to know Promotes your business and areas of expertise Helps valuable contacts find you

7. HOW TO UTILIZE LINKEDIN’S OPPORTUNITIES 1. Present yourself Use a descriptive headline and add a photo for recognition Include at least three past positions whether they be internships or past employment Include a summary to let your personality shine through 2. Get connected Keeps you current with your network Easiest way to get connected is to join your school’s alumni network Connect with anyone you have a real relationship with 3. Build the good word Recommendations give potential employers a snap of your past and an idea of your potential Ask recommendations from past employers, professors or anyone that has experience with the quality of your work

8. BY FOLLOWING THOSE THREE STEPS You can bridge the gap between your academic accomplishments and your first opportunities in the professional field You Increase the chances of being discovered for a job You rise to the first pages of search engine results

9. LINKEDIN SUCCESS STORY Christine Midwood- technology program director and product manager. Joined groups and researched LinkedIn for company information and potential connections before applying for any jobs Strived to meet three times weekly with connections to learn the current field trends and opportunities Before applying for a job she found online, she looked up and connected to a former coworker through LinkedIn who introduced her to the hiring manager The opportunities LinkedIn provides goes beyond simply creating a profile and finding connections

10. OTHER USEFUL SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES Plaxo When a user edits their information, the changes are updated in the address books of all those who have a listed connection with the user Has over one million users Integrated with Simply Hired KODA Can learn about organizations’ cultures to see if the workplace is a good fit Lists available jobs Hybrid of Facebook and LinkedIn

11. CONTD. Twitter Employers and job sites post openings Can communicate directly with various organizations Ning Includes job search networks that are organized by area locations and industry Allows blogging, connecting with users and discussing relevant issues

12. BRAND-YOURSELF (.COM) Goal: “Create innovative tools that strengthen your career” How? Build memorable profiles on professional and personal websites that portray you in a positive light Optimize your website, profiles and other online content to be the first links to appear when your name is Googled Promote your positive personal brand in the right places online; monitor who’s talking about you and what they are saying; and use social media to advance your career

13. WHY “BRAND-YOURSELF”? Improve your chances of getting a job by managing your online presence Applications enable you to develop a positive, professional and impactful web presence Find your Google Grade to see what Google results say about you

14. JOB HUNTING Finding a job is a full-time job in itself Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that people who use many job search methods find jobs faster than people who use only one or two. While networking may be the most effective tool, online job hunting Web sites are a valuable resource

15. · Pioneered online recruiting over ten years ago. ·Largest job hunting Web site with over 76 million active resumes with employers in over 26 countries. ·Free to join! ·Upload resume and cover letters ·Advance searching capabilities to match your career goals with available opportunities. ·Unique tools: Career Mapping ·Find interview tips and career advice

16. OTHER USEFUL JOB SEARCH ENGINE WEB SITES MediaBistro.com Dedicated to the communications industry Community for people in the industry to find jobs, talk about trends and improve career skills. Niche job search engines Search for jobs based on specialized criteria like type of position, career field, or industry. Members of PRSSA can utilize job postings on membership site Weekly updates of available jobs are emailed

17. JOB HUNTING STATISTICS ACCORDING TO THE CDC Newhouse grads find jobs using the following: Personal Contact/Networking: 33% Internet/Company Website- 21% -Applied directly to company- 12% -Previous internship- 9% -On-Campus Recruiting- 11% School/College Referral- 5% Career Fair- 3% Employment Agency- 3% -Classified Ads- 3%

18. TIPS ON USING JOB SEARCH ENGINE WEB SITES Create a personalized profile Brainstorm strong attributes and talk-up relevant work experience Develop an online presence and identity Make yourself searchable Keep track & follow up Write down and organize all of the places you applied to Follow up with the organization Be aggressive and pro active

19. COMPANIES RECRUITING VIA FACEBOOK Job seekers can spend their usual time on Facebook searching for jobs! Facebook is now a common place for a company to post available jobs. Companies pay for sponsored pages as opposed to the free “social” profiles that individuals create

20. ERNST & YOUNG’S PAID FACEBOOK PAGE ·Huge success with its Facebook sponsored page ·Geared toward recruiting entry-level workers and interns ·Consists of discussion boards and testimonials about the E&Y workplace. ·To date has over 40,000 fans! ·E&Y Facebook Fan Page

21. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: USING A FEED What should we use a feed for? Job hunts Trade/industry news Socia How can we possibly view job postings, industry/trade news, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. every day? l networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) Other news Blogs

22. NETVIBES TUTORIAL Netvibes tutorial: feed puts it all together in one place for quick and easy view http://www.netvibes.com/earosent#General Go to a site and find RSS feed Copy link location Add to Netvibes feed under New Content Make several tabs for different feeds (ie: Job Hunt, Personal Social Networking, News, Blogs, etc.) Other feed options: Google Reader, iGoogle

23. JOB SEARCHING IN THE FUTURE The Future is Now Electronic Resumes Personal Websites Virtual Interviews Facebook Twitter Advanced Internet Recruiting Search Enables employees to virtually find candidates with specialized skills Helps employers to pinpoint candidates to a specific geographical region

24. JOB SEARCHING IN THE FUTURE (CONT.) Advanced Internet Recruiting Search Narrow Search Specified skill set Specified geographical region Easy FREE! Job Boards Information overload Too Broad More work for the recruiter (i.e. posting job descriptions, salaries, benefits, etc.) Fees attached http://www.career-intelligence.com/transition/FutureofJobHunting.asp

25. ANY QUESTIONS?