With the national unemployment rate currently trending at approximately 3.8 percent, The United States is witnessing some of the most productive times in history. In other words, the number of those who are working is as high as ever. Finding a job is becoming much easier. However, this does not necessarily mean that those with a job are pursuing the career of their dreams. So, if they decide to take advantage of the job market and switch jobs to work in another field, what is the best way to go about their job search? Believe it or not, the right answer could be social media.
An Unlimited Database
Since the rise of computers as the most dominant tools in practically every organization in the world, information storing has evolved. In the past, important data would generally be kept on printed copies. Now, everything is digitalized and stored in an online environment, replacing manila folders with their digital counterpart. Courtesy of such changes, looking for a job is no longer done through postings in the local newspapers. Although that is still a viable option, it is nowhere near as progressive and efficient as online an job search.
LinkedIn Began a Revolution
According to a success coach and entrepreneur from Mental Minutes Success Coaching, Kim Dalius, one of the first platforms to capitalize on the aforementioned developments was LinkedIn. Globally recognized as the largest professional networking websites, it is a place where more than 260 million users actively engage every month. What is even more impressive is the fact that the overall number of those on the platform exceeds 560 million! With such mind-boggling figures, LinkedIn remains the champion of all job-based networking without any competing providers that come even close to its value or scale.
Absence of Boundaries
By having the ability to use social media websites where employers are actively looking for new-hires, job seekers overcome some common boundaries. The most obvious is the distance that may exist between the candidate and the recruiter. So, for instance, when somebody in Texas is seeking a job in Nevada, they do not necessarily have to fly out of state to begin their quest. Instead, they can do a large chunk of their due diligence research through sources like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. That way, getting informed about the job search opportunities in that market will become much cheaper and easier.
A Plethora of Opportunities
According to Kim Dalius, social media has also made it easier for people to find unlikely opportunities. For example, there are jobs that millions of individuals across the nation are not even aware of. Just consider the freelancing opportunities available on the internet. These companies often recruit by relying on social media to deliver their interest-based advertisements via sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. That way, they can get a hold of a perfect employee that may not even know about their eligibility for the job. Thus, both the quantity and diversity of roles offered online is continuously expanding.
Finding the Perfect Fit
Of course, social media is not only useful for locating a great job. On the contrary, that is just the beginning of its true power. People can further leverage it to find out information about the company that they may be considering. This is achieved through communicating with current or previous employees on social sites like Glassdoor or Yelp, reading the reviews and expectations, and learning about the ins and outs of the brand. That way, someone who may not be a great fit for a certain organization will have fair warning long before they actually come on-board as an employee.
Bragging!
Ultimately, it is important to mention that almost all employers are starting to verify their newly-hired workers online. They do that by looking to see if the person has any controversial history on the internet that may damage the company’s reputation. Well, this is another benefit to those who know how to build their network efficiently. In translation, social media can come in handy when doing self-promotions or showing off one’s previous work. Good job search examples would be those who work in the creative arts industry. Just think about how easy it is for a painter to promote their art online and build a following. This both assists in being discovered as well as reaffirming the qualities of one’s work.
