Social Media Best Practices to Land that Dream Job

Job hunting has become ever more complex in the age of social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and ever more ways to stay connected and show off the good (and the bad) of your personal and professional skills have changed the very nature of job hunting and recruitment. The changes aren't over with, either, and according to one recruitment specialist, the best practices for using social media to further your career have evolved in the last six months. There have been dramatic changes in the social media world, and if job hunters want to get ahead, they have to understand how to take advantage of those changes, said David Perry, co-author of "Guerrilla Marketing For Job Hunters 3.0" and managing director of management consulting firm Perry-Martel International. With a little bit of effort and virtual elbow grease, digital dirt can be cleaned up and the best public image can be presented to recruiters, which Perry said is of utmost importance today since the best jobs don't get advertised. "This is not hard stuff. It just requires some forethought," Perry said. Here are Perry's tips for thriving in today's job market using social media.

• Clean up your image

  

  Digital dirt is a killer, and with the tools available to recruiters and employers today, if a potential job candidate acts inappropriately, it's not a matter of if they'll find out; it's when. Make that first impression a great one.

• Make yourself easy to find

  

  The same popular social media sites of two years ago are still around. Recruiters check them all, so have profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and ZoomInfo. Even Twitter and YouTube accounts have their uses.

• Know the up-and-comers

  

  Several new social media platforms have sprung up recently, and some of them are gaining a following. Two of the most important new social media platforms are BranchOut and About.me.

• BranchOut

  

  BranchOut, built as a Facebook application, appeals to a younger generation of workers. It automatically connects Facebook friends who also happen to be BranchOut users. BranchOut has potential access to 800 million Facebook users, compared to LinkedIn's 135 million users, which is why you need a BranchOut profile.

• About.me

  

  Everyone now manages several social media presences on various platforms, but what if you can tie them all in to one static page to make yourself easy to find? About.me provides a virtual business card that makes it easy to provide a quick bio, a photo and outbound links to blogs, websites and social media profiles. About.me is growing rapidly as new users become sold on its benefits.

• Be honest

  

  When building social media profiles, be true to yourself while still coming off as professional. Recruiters understand everyone is human, but the more forethought you put into your outward online appearance, the better. Honesty, however, is still the best policy.

• Know your audience

  

  Most hiring managers are of an older generation (50, give or take several years). Consider how you want to appear to someone of that age (and how you don't want to appear).

• It's not a toy, kiddo

  

  "Social media is a tool like any other, and it's a marketing tool. It's not just a toy. It's a tool to be used," Perry said. Treat it like a marketing tool, and it will reward you.