As social media continues to infiltrate every waking minute of our lives, there’s no denying that it’s changing the way we connect and interact. From searching the web to purchasing products and finding jobs, social media has a big impact on our roles, and developing our online brand correctly and professionally is more important now than ever.
In this article, we take a look at how ‘X’ can be used to develop a strong online brand and explore its potential for finding work.
Below are some initial steps to follow, once you’ve set up a profile.
Write a professional bio
Your first point of call for developing a strong online brand is your bio. You get 160 characters to tell any potential employers what your specialty is. Quite often, a little injection of personality can go a long way; just don’t take it too far. Keep it professional, so an employer will want to connect with you.
Include your website or LinkedIn URL
If you have a website or LinkedIn profile, including this will help potential employers access further information about you at the click of a button. Just be sure that the content you are linking to is of high quality.
Include a headshot
Including a photo lets employers put a face to your name, making you more memorable, just be sure that the picture shows you in a good light!
Start following
Follow employers, institutions, and influencers within your industry. To find them, use the ‘X search’ to get started, using keywords related to your industry and see what profiles come up. At this point, I would say it’s useful to be a little choosy. Try to connect with regular users who post engaging content and employers you are interested in working for, as it’s easy to get carried away and follow numerous people who are not in your niche.
Build your brand!
One you’ve written your bio and followed influencers and employers, it’s time to delve in and start building your brand. Post links to interesting content related to your industry and find discussions that you can get involved in. Try to add insightful comments, spark debate, and slowly you’ll be able to carve out a reputation as a thought leader.
For example, if you’re a scientist, you might want to post links to articles about new developments, trends and technology. Over time, you’ll develop a reputation for being a useful user and organisations may even start to approach you for advice or to offer you work.
Using X to search for work
Networking with the right people can be a great way to find out what positions are out there, often before they’ve been advertised. Let people know that you’re looking for work or ask whether they know of opportunities coming up. If you have a strong online brand, employers may even approach you.
In addition, employers and recruiters also post links on X, directly to their vacancies. Try searching for hashtags related to jobs you’re looking for, such as #collegejobsacuk, or useful advisory feeds such as #theukfechat and #ukedchat
Give it time!
Like the marketing of any product, building up your online brand will take time and commitment. Using social media can allow you to connect with employers and industry experts which wouldn’t have been possible in the past. One word of caution though, ‘With great opportunities, comes great responsibility.’ Be careful what you put out there, as anything you do, can have an enduring effect.
Don’t forget the traditional strategies
Remember that a good job search strategy is a balanced one. Don’t forget the traditional strategies such as recruiters, industry publications and job boards like jobs.ac.uk! Use all the ‘job search weapons’ available in your depository to ensure that you get a clear picture of all the vacancies on offer.
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