Blue Helm

Posted by Chad Mustard on November 3rd, 2009

The economy is down. Jobless rates are still climbing. New college graduates are struggling to find work. Times are tough, but tough times provide opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs and hard workers to thrive.

Today I want to write to those of you who are struggling to find a job. Maybe you’ve just graduated, maybe you’ve just been laid off or maybe you need to go back to work to pay the ever-rising bills. Regardless of why you’re looking for a job, the fact remains that there are a lot of people who are vying for the jobs you want.

So what do you do to separate yourself from the competition? What do you do to get the job you want? The answer: social networking.

Social networking is an extremely powerful tool and I’ll list a few suggestions that will get you well on your way to the job of your choosing, but you must understand that it will take time and effort.

Businesses spend a lot of time and money developing and improving their brand. You are no different than a business. You are responsible for your personal brand. What do people think of when they see your name? What do they think of you when you walk into the room?

Here are a few tips you can use that will help you develop your personal brand. I’ve linked to multiple articles written by Dan Shawbel, an expert in developing an online personal brand. So be sure to read Dan’s posts too; they provide additional in-depth, how-to instruction.

Get online

The first step to building your personal brand is to pick the most appropriate networks to join. The biggest social networking tools to consider are Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and blogging.

Twitter – You’ve probably heard a lot about Twitter, but you still aren’t clear on what it is or how to use it. Stop being confused and get started! Twitter is more than just a place to tell people what you’re doing. It’s a place to share links to relevant news, blogs and stories. Twitter is a great place to connect with important people in your industry and to become one of those important people as you further develop your personal brand.

LinkedIn – LinkedIn is the social network for professionals. Many people think LinkedIn is just an online resume, but there is much more to it. You can drastically improve your personal brand as you join and participate in groups, as you utilize the Q&A tool and as you build a larger and more interactive network.

Facebook – Facebook is more personal that Twitter or LinkedIn. LinkedIn is like taking people to your office and Twitter is like going to a networking lunch or talking at the water cooler. Facebook is like bringing people to your home. As you connect with people on Facebook, they will begin to see more of who you are as an individual. The more they like you, the more they’ll be willing to work with you.

Blogging – Building a blog is a great way to show off to potential employers. I would recommend starting a professional blog as opposed to a personal blog. Your professional blog should talk only about things in your industry. You should absolutely inject your personality into the blog, but have the focus of the blog be in your field of choice.

Become an expert

What are you interested in? What did you go to school for? What job do you want? Answer these questions and become an expert in your field of interest. Find the most popular blogs in your industry and start reading them regularly. Study books and other resources that will help increase your knowledge. Follow industry leaders on Twitter and read the updates and links they’ve posted. You can find a wealth of information online, just be careful that you don’t overload.

Voice your opinion

After you’ve studied and feel like you can carry on a relevant conversation in your field, start voicing your opinion.  Re-tweet posts that are interesting to you. Comment and have conversations on great blog posts. Answer questions in the Q&A section of LinkedIn or start discussions in the groups you’re a part of. Share relevant links on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Write blog posts that others will value. The more you study and share with others, the more you will be perceived as an expert.

Connect with the right people

The business world runs on connections. The more people you’re connected to, the more powerful you become. If you go into a job interview already knowing someone of influence in the company, your chances of landing the job are much better than someone who doesn’t have a connection. Connect with people at companies you would like to work for. Choose a few companies and look up people in the departments you would like to work in. See if they’re on Twitter, LinkedIn or if they have a blog. Connect and interact with them. Once you’ve developed a relationship with them, you can approach them about employment.

Don’t stop

If you don’t get results right away, don’t give up! And once you’ve gotten the job, keep networking on your own time. Effective social networking takes a while to develop. But the ball is now rolling, and it’s much easier to keep it going than having to start over again later when you may need social networking again. So never stop.

Tags: Chad, facebook, Job Search, LinkedIn, Personal Branding, twitter

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 3:10 pm and is filed under Branding, How-To, Social Networks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.