Written by Debbie Webber
Career Connectors is all about connecting with good careers. And did you know the Career Connector’s LinkedIn group page has job postings? Once you’ve landed on the page, click on “jobs” at the top of the page, and then “search all jobs” on the left side to see posted jobs.
Keynote
Today’s speaker was Dr. Carl Forkner. He has been a Career Connectors volunteer for two years, and is currently the Director of Marketing and Special Projects at Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants, a position he connected with through his association with Career Connectors.
Context is everything – do you want a job or a career? A job is simply something to fill your time, while a career is an investment in YOU that will provide you growth, salary, optimism and retirement benefits. Social media is your job search secret weapon.
Social media consists of websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. It’s a wide spectrum of formats and activities. Various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube are the most widely used, but if you’re looking for a career, you should focus on the professional parts of social media.
The internet now has billions of individuals online, with huge worldwide penetration. And, thanks to cell phone use, social media use has also exploded. As a matter of fact, the number of individuals on mobile social media is actually higher than the actual population, due to individuals using more than one device to participate in social media.
The five sites in 2014 with the most active users were Facebook (1.7 billion), LinkedIn (322 million), Google+ (300 million), Twitter (284 million) and Pinterest (70 million). In addition, over 50% of these users are in the job-searchers “sweet spot”—working professionals between the ages of 18-44.
And here’s even more data: 90% of hiring managers and recruiters use online information about job applicants before making a hiring decision and 70% of those individuals said they had rejected candidates based on information they did – or didn’t – find online.
So—given all the data you’ve just read, do you still doubt that you need an online presence?
Now let’s talk about the quality of your information. Over 85% of employers think candidates should make their profiles more employer-friendly and 60% think candidates should take steps to hide personal pictures with inappropriate subjects. 56% believe you should delete objectionable posts, even if you didn’t write them. And 36% of employers think candidates should omit political/religious views from their profiles. Obviously, employers expect to see you in social media.
So what makes you a good social media prospect?
- Candidate conveys a professional image
- HR got a good feel for the candidate’s personality
- Candidate was well-rounded and showed wide range of interests
- Candidate’s background supported professional qualifications
- Candidate was creative
- Great communication skills
Over half of HR managers said they also found something to convince them NOT to hire an individual.
What makes you a bad social media prospect?
- Candidate posed provocative or inappropriate photos or information
- Candidate’s social media included info about drinking or using drugs
- Candidate badmouthed a previous employer
- Candidate has poor communication skills
- Candidate made discriminatory remarks on race, gender, religion
- Candidate lied about qualifications
The Big Three
Employer-preferred social media sites include Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Facebook
Many people are not aware they can find a job on Facebook. Simply use the Facebook search window just as you would the Google search window. Many companies post open positions on their company Facebook page. Type in “Phoenix Jobs” or search for a specific company name. Look for a “careers” or “jobs” link on their Facebook site. Often these links lead to job descriptions with a link directly to the application area of the company’s website.
LinkedIn – the pinnacle of online job search formats
Recruiters never see candidates that are below the “all-star” level in LinkedIn because they get so many qualified prospects without going any lower.
The six critical profile components of LinkedIn are:
- Name, Headline, Industry and Location
- Professional Photograph
- Summary
- Current and Previous Work Experience
- Education and Skills
- Connections (50+)
You use LinkedIn to search for jobs and network for jobs. You search for companies you want to work for and once you find them, follow them. Check out job postings and apply, just like on the company website. LinkedIn will also show you how many people have already applied to the position you’re looking at, which can help you decide if you want to apply.
You can build yourself a targeted network by identifying and sending a connection request to people in companies you’ve targeted for your career. In addition, connecting with HR and recruiters may link you into companies and other opportunities.
Use your connections to get introductions for yourself and others, which can lead to connections with recruiters or HR in the company you’re targeting.
Twitter
The secret weapon for searching social media is HASHTAGS. While they became popular via Twitter, now most social platforms use them to help you find what you’re looking for.
There is a multitude of ways to search for a job on Twitter using hashtags. Try a search using #jobs, #financejobs (replacing “finance” with the industry you want), #employment or #hiring. If you already know the type of job you’re looking for, you can avoid sifting through all the other jobs to find your niche using Tweetchat.
Tweetchat.com allows you to filter the activity happening with the hashtags you indicate. This means you can open up a direct chat with whoever tweeted the job you’re looking for. Tweetchat requires you to have a Twitter account. But what if you could have jobs come to you without opening a Twitter account? Use www.tweetmyjobs.com and enter the role, industry or location you’re looking for and open positions will come to you.
Other formats
When you enter a hashtag along with your search word into Google+, it will give you 20 other options associated with that hashtag. You can also search for and find jobs posted on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube, which has become the second largest search network in the world. Try recording a video resume on your laptop – remember that being articulate and professional is paramount! Nextdoor.com is another site that is local to your physical neighborhood and can be valuable for making connections with your neighbors.
Get up, Get out, Get going!
The computer can only take you so far. Business is still done face to face, and networking opportunities abound in the Phoenix metro area. Google “Phoenix networking events and groups” and you’ll find organizations like Networking Phoenix with 75 to 120 free or low cost meetings, Meetup which is mostly free, and Executives Network for director level positions and above.
Make sure you present a professional and articulate profile: your social media presence can be vital to finding your next career move.
Hiring Companies
Arizona Office Technologies
Octavio Duarte, Corporate Recruiter
Arizona Office Technologies (AOT) is a Xerox company that is a 30-year-old private, locally-owned company. They cover industries such as healthcare, legal, manufacturing and the public sector, with offices in Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson. AOT assesses the technology and culture of an organization to help them drive down print and production costs. Benefits include health, 401K, PTO, life insurance, and corporate discounts. They were voted a Best Place to Work in 2013 and 2014. Current career openings include Major Account Executive, Sales Consultants, Database Administrator, Assistance Controller and CRM Administrator. Apply here.
Adecco USA
Michelle Grinberg, Regional Account Director
Adecco USA is a top global staffing agency that builds relationships with clients and companies. They have over 90,000 associates on client assignments each week across the world. They provide contract workers, direct placements and contract-to-hire. Industries covered include accounting/finance, engineering/IT, marketing, administration and medical/science. All associates are assigned a recruiter that becomes their career counselor. Adecco USA offers benefits including dental/vision, paid holidays, 401k, life/disability insurances, skills training and tuition reimbursement.
T-Mobile
Jill Fajardo, Retail Store Manager
Paul Ortega, Retail Store Manager
T-mobile culture strives to be different and challenge the status quo, which means they are searching for employees with uniqueness. As a matter of fact, they list their culture as “Unleash Your Inner Outlaw.” T-Mobile is the third largest carrier in the world, which means there are huge opportunities for employees. Current career openings include Retail Sales Associates, Store Operations Associates, Retail Associate Managers and Retail Store Managers. Benefits include medical, dental/vision, matching 401k, PTO, stock options and discounts on T-Mobile service. Apply here.
Charles Schwab
Shannon Grimes, Talent Attraction Manager
Charles Schwab is the largest brokerage in the U.S., with a credo “We see the world through our client’s eyes.” They bring Wall Street to Main Street for individual investors, advisors and employers. Although the headquarters is located in San Francisco, Phoenix is the largest employee location, which translates to many opportunities. Current openings include Broker Training Program, Estates Services Professional and Relationship Specialists. Create your online profile and upload your resume at tiny.cc/careerconnectors. Answer the qualifying questions: a recruiter will review your resume, and if there is a strong match of qualifications to the position, you will be contacted with next steps. Shannon will follow up with you if you let her know you have started the application process.
Next Event
Wednesday, October 7, 2015 9:00am North Phoenix Baptist Church
Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out, Ted Robison
Hiring companies: Progrexion, Kforce, Christian Family Care and Charles Schwab