Sharing a post on social media saying you hate your job isn’t going to win you much empathy or attract future employers. Neither will publicly sharing an update announcing you are open to new opportunities or in transition. However, there is so much you can do to build an online presence with a stream of relevant and professional status updates.
As you share status updates on social media, remember to have a variety of content that best reflects your personality and interests, and of course, your professional achievements. Divide your status updates among these themes: information about your industry or occupation, company-specific news, information about you and information about your network.
[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job.]
Also consider the type of content you share. Posts with a picture tend to do better than text alone. You can share memes, infographics, videos or photos.
One final reminder. Before you begin sharing from a social media account, make sure it is job-search ready. This means you’ve removed all posts you created or are tagged in that are not appropriate for job searching. Your profile picture and banner should be professional and only of you. Finally, your bio should include the right keywords for the type of work you are looking for and you should include a link to your personal website or LinkedIn profile.
Many of these tips will work for any social media platform, including LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. Now here are some ideas for things you can share on social media.
[See: 10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand.]
Share your own photos and video. Take a shot of you and a co-worker working on a project and photos of you and your team doing something together. Be sure to tag your colleagues. You could even take a photo of your finished project as it appears on your computer screen or a published article you wrote for a newsletter. If you attend a networking event or meetup, snap some photos and post the best one or interview one of the presenters. More ideas include taking a photo of a new business book you are reading or your collection of business books. On a less formal note, post a photo of you volunteering or one of you visiting your favorite spots.
Avoid posting too many selfies or photos that are too personal. Your strategy is to create an overall impression of your well-rounded qualities and professional interests. Remember to vary the content of status updates you post.
Share infographics and memes. As you scroll through your feeds, you will undoubtedly come across a meme. However, not all memes are suitable for sharing if you are on the hunt for a new job. Stay away from religious or political topics, which are extremely polarizing at this point in time. You just can’t be sure how someone will react. People often share motivational or inspirational images on social media, too. Sharing an occasional famous quote is a good addition to your online news feed. Infographics are also good visuals to share. They pack the power of information with the appeal of images. Always make sure the content you share is accurate and relates to your targeted occupation.
[See: Famous CEOs and Executives Share Their Best Career Advice.]
Share articles and news. Nothing says you’re up on current events quite like sharing recent news about trends in your industry. Post the link to an article on your favorite social network and add your thoughts. To take it a step further, ask for feedback or opinions from your network. You can share news about companies you are interested in working for. However, be careful what you say if your search isn’t public knowledge. You wouldn’t want you current employer or friends to hear about your job search through social media.
Promote events and friends. Is there a conference or event coming up that you plan on attending? Share a link to the page in your status update and invite like-minded professionals to consider attending. Promoting a holiday and wishing your network well keeps you front and center. Or perhaps one of your friends made the news. Share either the status update or link to the news article and be sure to tag him or her. By congratulating people in your network, you stay top of mind. This helps you meet one of the basic principles of networking by showing you care about the success of people you know.
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Social Media Status Updates for Job Hunters originally appeared on usnews.com
