How to Use Social Networking to Help Job Seekers By: Wendy Jo Moyer, WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA and Candace Moody, WorkSource

Goals What’s in it for job seekers What’s in it for your workforce board Where do you start? How to do social media well and keep it up Top social media resources for job seekers

What’s in it for job seekers? Social media resources are new communication tools and are now mainstream. Jobseekers who aren’t active on social networks are missing out on valuable resources and connections. Allows job seekers to broaden their pool of contacts with people they may or may not know. Status updates offer a forum to update contacts about a job search and skill set.

What’s in it for job seekers? Company searches allow job seekers to seek out and connect with organizations that interest them. Job postings are listed frequently by employers and employees. Network and connect with those who share interests and work in a field. Allows job seekers to brand themselves as experts.

What’s in it for your workforce board? 25 percent of search results for the world’s top 20 brands are links to user-generated content (Marketing Vox and Nielson BuzzMetrics SES Magazine, June 8) 90 percent of consumers trust peer recommendations (Nielson Global Online Consumer Survey, July 2009) The consumer is now in control of your brand You must have a presence where your customers are Social media is not just about publishing content. It’s about listening to your customers and creating relationships

What’s in it for your workforce board? Workforce boards can: – Excerpt their web pages and bring out content that’s important or new – Increase awareness of services: Announce events, speakers and preview content – Link to resources and articles of interest – Monitor what’s being said about the organization Get feedback, testimonials and highlight issues that customers are asking about – Increase website hits by linking back to site – Identify influencers in the workforce industry for research on hot workforce topics – Increase customer loyalty

Where do you start? Determine your goals and create a plan Create a social media policy that outlines guidelines for staff to help protect and strengthen the organization’s brand – Guidelines designed to represent your organization in a positive manner – Includes reminder that all staff members are representing their organization online, even in personal accounts – Explain that all staff members are personally responsible for the content they publish online – Ask employees to respect confidential information and to follow laws such as copyright and plagiarism

Where do you start? Jump in and start exploring social media sites such as: – Facebook – Linked In – Company Blog – Twitter – YouTube Set up monitoring of what’s being said online about your organization

Monitoring Google Alerts: updates on a topic of your choice – Twitter – twitteralerts.net – tweetlarm.com – TweetBeep.com – Twilert.com

How to do social media well and keep it up Make it a part of one staff member’s daily routine Once all social media outlets are set up, allow about 30 minutes a day As easy as checking s and voic s Responding quickly is important

Top Social Media Resources for Job Seekers Facebook – LinkedIn – Twitter –

What is Facebook? The largest social networking site in the world with more than 500 million members If Facebook was a country, it would be the world’s 4 th largest between the U.S. and Indonesia Widely regarded as a personal social networking site

Why Use Facebook? The most popular social media site Vast networking opportunities in a more casual online atmosphere Members connect with family, friends and business associates Association and career groups Company profiles, i.e. Wyndham Careers

WorkSource

WCF Hot Jobs

WCF HR Network

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful More than 65 million members in more than 200 countries Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members Employers gravitate toward it when recruiting

Why Use LinkedIn? Stay informed about your contacts and industry Control your professional identity online Post your resume Research companies within your industry Recruiters are using LinkedIn Find the people and knowledge to achieve your goals

Why Use LinkedIn? Obtain recommendations from past colleagues Participate in Answers Search for people, companies, etc. Search for jobs Join groups LinkedIn now gives you the ability to link to a blog post on your profile. Every time you post to your blog it updates your profile. Update status

WorkSource Professional Network

What is Twitter? A real-time short messaging service that allows users to read and share messages of 140 characters or less with their contacts Bits of information that allow you to link to other places (like your website) More challenging than other social media sites to master

Why Use Twitter? Unlike LinkedIn and Facebook, where requesting connections with someone you don’t know is discouraged, on Twitter it is acceptable. Networking Job Postings Company information Personal branding

Why Use Twitter? Industry knowledge New ideas The “retweet” allows your message to spread organically Access to thousands of job resources and experts for research

@WCFHotJobs

@WCF_HR_Network

@WorkSource_Jax

Conclusion Social media is here to stay, and it’s important that we understand and master it to remain relevant to our jobseekers. The more you use social media, the easier it will be to decide what content will have the most impact. You’ll also reach new jobseekers who may not connect with you any other way. If you provide valuable information through your tweets, recommendations, etc. your networks will grow and stay connected longer.