Why Pinterest Could Be The Next Great Job Search Tool (And How To Use It As One)

Why Pinterest Could Be the Next Great Job Search Tool (and How to Use It As One) It’s no secret LinkedIn is a hotbed of job search exercise. But believe it or not, an energetic Pinterest profile may just be the following massive thing in worker recruitment. Get in on the action early, and maximize your job search by effectively using social platforms to market your self. Here are six ideas to make use of LinkedIn and Pinterest that will help you land your next job: 1. Make Your Pages Searchable According to Social Media Today, only about 50% of all LinkedIn users have an entire profile, and Digital Marketing Ramblings reports that only 20% of all Internet-utilizing females and 5% of all Internet-using males have a Pinterest profile. If you haven’t filled out all your information, or you don’t have a present profile, the likelihood of being contacted by a recruiter is slim. Go forward and full your profiles, however take it a step additional: make sure you use searchable key phrases that are associated to your job search when describing yourself and your previous work. Also, if you’re sending out resumes via e mail or job recruitment websites, understand that recruiters often search social platforms to study more about their candidates. Be certain your profiles are work-appropriate and easy to find. For instance, my name, Laura Williams, is about as generic as it comes. If you search for “Laura Williams,” you’d be hard pressed to search out me. That’s why profe ssionally I always embrace my maiden name and title. To my information, there’s just one Laura Farman Williams, M.S.Ed. If you wish to be discovered, make it easy for folks to search out you. (Click here to tweet this thought.) Finally, on Pinterest, ensure you create boards with the words “job search,” “dream job,” “visual work portfolio” or another employment-particular phrase in the title. Fill the boards with fascinating content that gives a visual representation of your targets and intentions. The titles will be searchable, so recruiters or corporations looking for employees are more likely to find you. 2. Provide Current Contact Information While this could sound like a no brainer, check your profiles to ensure recruiters and employers have a approach to simply contact you. LinkedIn makes this slightly easier than Pinterest, as all LinkedIn users have a LinkedIn inbox, however you'll be able to nonetheless update your Pinterest web page with appropriate contact information. If you’re not comfy sharing your private email tackle or telephone quantity on Pinterest, join your Facebook or Twitter account, with a note on your profile web page or job search board that claims, “Please join with me on Twitter” or “Please join with me on Facebook” so recruiters know the place and tips on how to find you. three. Showcase Your Work If you want to land a job, probably the greatest ways is to point out potential employers what you’re able to. When you complete your profile on LinkedIn, there’s an choice to addContent information or hyperlink to websites that show your online portfolio. Take advantage of this and highlight your greatest work. On Pinterest, perceive that the platform is meant to be visual. If you’re a graphic designer, artist, chef or architect, create a project board that gives visible samples of your work. If you’re not in an obviously visual field, develop visual, pinnable photographs (infographics are good examples) that emphasize your expertise and experience. Employers are bound to understand the creativity and time you put into the hassle. 4. Network With Companies As of June 2013, there have been 3 million LinkedIn enterprise pages, and as of July 2013, there have been 500,000 Pinterest business pages. Those numbers proceed to develop, so go where the companies are. If you've a list of “dream companies” to work for, look them up on Pinterest and LinkedIn, follow them after which work together with them. Here’s the factor about enterprise accounts: they’re run by actual people. If you’re engaged with the content they’re creating, commenting, asking questions and providing ideas when appropriate, the person behind the corporate’s postings will begin to bear in mind you. After developing a relationship, you can ask about positions, or even offer your companies as an worker. It might not all the time go exactly as hoped, however nothing ventured, nothing gained. 5. Network With Recruiters Just as businesses are connected via LinkedIn and Pinterest, so are recruiters and employment businesses. Connect with them and develop relationships, and pay shut attention to the job listings they share by way of their profiles. As proven on the Social Media Today report linked above, roughly forty eight% of recruiters post place openings to LinkedIn and nowhere else, so by growing relationships with the recruiters earlier than the roles are posted, you’re putting your self in a good position to land a job interview â€" and fairly presumably the job. 6. Engage Frequently If you’re not staying within the forefront of your viewers’s mind (and also you do need to consider potential employers and recruiters as your viewers), you’re going to be forgotten. While you don’t need to turn out to be an annoyance, participating frequently through Pinterest and LinkedIn is important. Share content material, replace your status and (on Pinterest) add pictures to your job-specific boards. You don’t at all times need to interact directly with the businesses or recruiters you need to work with, but you do must be current, including worth to your profile and demonstrating your information and understanding of your subject of expertise. Conclusion As businesses shift their focuses to social media and online strategies, they may proceed to shift their job searches to these same platforms. In 2012, 73% of all recruiters used social media to fill a position (a 15% improve from 2011), so if you want to land a job, you should engage through social retailers. Think creatively, share your work visually, and all the time search for methods to stand out from the gang. Have you used social media in your job search? Did it work? Share in the feedback! This post originally appeared as a visitor submit by Laura Farman Williams on Career Enlightenment. Image: Flickr