How Social Media Will Help with Your Job Hunt

Entering the work force — thanks to social media!My post earlier this week was about the value of your networks. One obvious way being engaged on social platforms can contribute to your bottom line is by helping you find a job. This is not new. In fact, it's been going on since the beginning of time. It's an often quoted truism that most positions are filled before they are advertised because someone knew someone who knew someone. The differences being today our net is wider, with technology allowing us to "know" a lot more people and the opportunities (again, because of technology) are not limited geographically. What a glorious time!

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I'll add that the most valuable element that social media (and I'm not just talking about LinkedIn) brings to the job hunting process is the likelihood of you finding a position that's actually a better fit for you. Why? Because if you and your potential employers have a social footprint, it's more likely that what you are experiencing of the other outside of the traditional "job interview" is more reflective of who you really are.

Have you ever gone through rounds of interviews and got a position only to find out that it wasn't exactly as advertised? Job hunting can sometimes feel like fitting together the puzzle pieces, and it can get uncomfortable trying fit square pegs in round holes. I have no statistics, so any HR professionals do feel free to chime in, but from my own experience in the corporate world, this kind of thing happens all too often - both ways. You whittle down candidates for a position and hire your best bet only to find that what he/she really excelled at was interviewing for jobs!

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You can ask, "What are your greatest strengths/weakness?" questions until the cows come home. You can even ask hypothetical work scenario questions … but it's all a performance for an hour or a day. After you're done with the show, check your candidates Twitter feed and see what they're really like!

Same goes for the person or company who's looking to hire you … what's chatter about ABCo? Or what about the people who already work there? Do they seem like a good fit for you?

Today, these resources are at our fingertips. Not only can they help you find a job and collect a paycheck but if it's a job you like and stick with, it's helping you to keep bringing home that paycheck. There's the value.

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