TECHNOFILE
Could Facebook find you a job?
With the rise in popularity of social networking sites, perhaps it’s time to rethink your job hunt,
says TIM STACKPOOL
New conduits for communication and contacts always lead to amazing new potentials when it comes to all facets of business. There’s no reason why the popularity of social networking websites should be any different. In fact, not only should social networking sites be regarded as gold- mines for new job and organisation opportunities, but the long established business networking websites have been enjoying renewed popularity and usability due to the uptake of online networking in general.
Get your face known
If Facebook has been blocked at your place of work, you should sign-up from home, even if you only want to dip your toe into the online networking pond. There’s no real obligation to lay out your entire personal life for the world to enjoy, but by logging in you can peruse world- wide and sometimes intense discussions that extend beyond being a fan of the latest Zac Effron film or Twilight novel (worthy forums that they are in their own right). A quick forage reveals business groups on Facebook that include Women’s Business Mastermind; I Am Mentored by a Billionaire and the simply named Jobs, all of which have thousands of members swapping ideas. It’s easy to see how being aware of issues discussed in these groups can give you an edge in the workplace. Twitter has also taken the concept of social network- ing to a new high and can keep you in touch with hun- dreds of people who can help you with your request, or who may Tweet about an exciting job opportunity. Executive PA is now tweeting (find us at @ExecutivePA) and we’ll be letting all of our followers know about the latest job opportunities, as well as news and competitions.
Get LinkedIn
The goliath of online business networking is LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). If you haven’t heard of this service, you’ll be amazed at the world behind its virtual walls. Looking for contacts on the other side of the world who specialise in your field can be enormously easy using the ‘6 degrees of separation’ model employed by this site. You’ll be astonished at how you might be connected to
leaders in various fields via people you already know, and LinkedIn uses these connections to present introductions to people who might offer you a business advantage. Being a business-based product, there are some serv- ices within LinkedIn that require a fee, but even the basic free entry level can offer online facilities that are precious business tools. Groups include the Real Business Entrepreneur Network, the hugely popular Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections with more than 100,000 members, and the appropriate PAs, EAs, VAs and Senior Administrators.
When taking a look, the opportunities presented by
LinkedIn put you ahead of the crowd when it comes to emerging job prospects and prospective employer philosophies. Within your own workplace, searching for consultants or contractors can be aligned with recommen- dations from people you already know. Recommendations for employment can be similarly exploited. Your office can set-up its own group to communicate with colleagues in different offices or around the world, and public groups can be offered to members who are fans of your products or services. As a rule of thumb, if you are creating a Facebook profile for your company or firm, reserve it for ‘business to consumer’ type messages, whereas LinkedIn is better suited for ‘business to business’ communication.
Joined up thinking
Online networking sites are also becoming cleverer by aggregating communication methods you might already be using. Your current blog or Twitter updates can be embedded into your page, meaning the amount of double entry required to satisfy all your communication con- duits is reduced. From a business perspective, you are missing out on a major opportunity to immerse yourself in the market if you avoid taking part. But be cautious about the level of personal information you share. Online identity theft is rife and social networking sites can be fodder for the dark side of the net. Properly managed, a well maintained social network
profile can reap significant benefits, not only for your effectiveness, but also for your professional visibility. E
www.executivepa.com » Apr/May 2010 » 15
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