There is a recent article in the NY Times (courtesy of Yahoo) about using social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace) for job hunting. While it does a great job of discussing the networking benefits, it does not discuss optimizing your personal profiles to best promote your expertise and maximize your exposure to potential employers. The benefits of optimizing your social network profiles (your personal brand) are at minimum two-fold.
- It allows you to showcase your expertise in conjunction with your personality in a way that posting your resume to a job board will not. Job boards are less and less effective. And I have always believed that the best way to find a job is through networking. So take advantage of the platform social networks offer.
- You can aid your current job or business while passively trolling for another one. Add links to your company, your blog, your other sites. Links increase your Google search ranking.
On LinkedIn you should have basically your resume in your profile showcasing your jobs and accomplishments for the last 7-9 years. Make sure you are hitting the highlights. And provide a solid summary laced with keywords that a recruiter might use to search for someone with your skills. Ask and answer questions about your industry and show off your knowledge. This site is all about networking and self-promotion, so be confident and get connected.
On Facebook you should connect with current and old friends, classmates, former colleagues etc. This is not a place to show off your resume. But you can link to your LinkedIn page, your blog, your company, etc. And it is a solid networking tool. You can also add info about what you do in a more limited format.
MySpace is most casual. Really good for keeping up with family and friends. Also good for adding links back to your other pages. Remember all this cross-linking improves your search-ability.
On all these sites you must be careful about being too casual about what you say, post, and do. Think of the personal brand you are putting out there (and believe me, recruiters and HR personnel will find it, private or not). Whether for the benefit of finding a new job, or promoting your current one, ask yourself, "Would I hire me?"
