Using Social Media to Fuel Your Job Search
January 18, 2008
Two Mondays ago, my husband was laid off. Ever since, I’ve been helping him with his resume and cover letters as well as the job search and networking. I’ve been able to draw on my vast experience of previous bouts of unemployment as well as my online marketing career.
My husband’s main skill is programming custom applications in AutoCAD. Sure, there’s plenty of jobs for AutoCAD designers or drafters, but programming the software using its API is a different ballgame. Let’s just say it’s a niche market.
LinkedIn is turning out to be a godsend. We’ve been able to find recruiters from the companies that Josh has been applying to and he’s sent them emails and added them as contacts. This is especially true of Autodesk, the company that makes AutoCAD. Companies like Autodesk can be difficult to get into because they have amazing benefits (how does a sabbatical every four years sound?) and a hot product. Since we live in NC and not in San Rafael, California, it’s difficult to network, as you might imagine. But social media breaks down the location barriers and allows my husband to contact recruiters directly, something that was previously a lot harder to do.
But without Twitter, we wouldn’t have known just how competitive it is to get hired by Autodesk. I’ve been Twittering about this whole situation, and my friend Donna Fontenot mentioned that she used to work at Autodesk, something I hadn’t known about her. The funny thing is, that despite that I’m a fan of her blog and she’s a true friend to this blog, it was Twitter that facilitated our conversation about Autodesk.
Going back to LinkedIn, my husband was also able to find out from a recruiter that a CAD job at Polo Ralph Lauren (in their facilities management department) was filled. This came as a huge disappointment to me as I had hopes of free clothes.
These same techniques can be applied to Facebook and really any social networking site. Blogging about your industry is also a tremendous way to raise your profile and demonstrate those all-important written communication abilities.
The next time you face a job search, make social media your networking “wing man.”
Posted in Social Media by Nathania Johnson
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January 18th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Great post - thanks for sharing. I have two friends who found their current jobs via a combination of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Sometimes people in technology get caught up in the concept of social media and bill it as the greatest thing in the history of the Internet, so it’s nice to hear real-life examples every once in a while…
January 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Great post with some interesting applications in action.
One thing I might add, in addition to social media, Google Alerts are a great way to stay in the loop and find more places to connect.
You might see a job posted before anyone else does, or someplace else others aren’t looking… or you might see an article or blog entry about your field and form a networking connection by commenting on it.
(One of my Google Alerts is for ‘Facilities Management CAD’, since that is my field. It’s how I keep up on news, as well as find other folks in my industry to connect with.)
Good luck to your husband!
January 27th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Today’s job market is as much as “being found” as it is finding jobs. Social media is about relationships and we all know its not what you its who you know. I also think that social media jobs are going to become the poster job of the new economy.