The mercurial rise of social media technologies has really redefined the recruitment process by providing low-cost capabilities that save time, reduce the barriers to candidate contact, and facilitate their early interactions with potential employers. Social media enables organizations to easily gain information about a candidate’s experience and skills and also get a glimpse into their lifestyle, values, and their cultural fit.
The numbers don’t lie: according to figures from the IOA social media report, over 60% of employers screen candidates using social media platforms to determine a candidate’s level of professionalism and whether the candidate will fit in well with the company culture. On a similar note, the report also showed that more than 40% of employers are less likely to interview job candidates who don’t have any social media presence.
So the big question is: how can cloud engineers leverage social media platforms while job hunting?
This article details the critical attributes of various social media channels and provides tips on how you can make the most of social media platforms when looking for a cloud engineering job.
1. Include Your Social Media Profiles in Your Resume
Your social profiles act as “social proof” for your value and integrity as a person. That is, they are like informal recommendations. Use this to your advantage and include links to your social profiles in your resume to serve as part of your contact information.
According to Matthew Van Niekerk, CEO of DataBroker DAO, “Having open social profiles displayed for your potential employer to see shows you have nothing to hide. They can get a peek at your personal life without asking you probing questions during an interview.”
2. Make the Most of LinkedIn
LinkedIn has more than 562 million users in more than 200 countries around the world and is the world’s premier professional network. When used properly, cloud engineering professionals can get the best out of this social media platform when job hunting.
Here are some tips on how you can make the best of LinkedIn.
Expand Your Network and Influence
LinkedIn offers a variety of tools to expand your network by finding and connecting with relevant professionals in the cloud computing industry. The emphasis is to find, approach and connect with other cloud engineering professionals. Also, be sure to post your own content regularly to demonstrate your expertise.
In addition, you should also learn how to use the recommendation feature to give and receive recommendations for cloud engineers you have worked with in the past. Make sure the recommendations you give or receive are valid as some employers take these recommendations on LinkedIn very seriously.
Know How to Job Hunt Using LinkedIn
Job hunting is the most important aspect of LinkedIn for cloud engineering professionals, and this means you need to know how to make the most of this social channel. Take your time to research in detail how to leverage the various search features the platform offers that let you track cloud computing companies, cloud engineers and cloud computing job postings.
Also ensure that you create a complete profile on LinkedIn. Fill out your employment information and put up a professional photo. LinkedIn tops other social media channels when it comes to search results, so your profile will move up to the top of results if fully completed.
Note: when you are job hunting, take time to build your network. Avoid intrusive strategies such as blasting invitations at complete strangers in a bid to connect with them. Instead, you should look for legitimate connections you have with other cloud professionals and reach out with an invitation to connect. Be sure to write a personal note when sending a connection request.
3. Make the Most of Facebook
Facebook has the largest number of social media users and thus provides cloud engineers with the best tools and opportunities when looking for a job.
In fact, Facebook pages can give you a good sense of a particular company’s culture and this will help you determine whether or not the organization will suit you.
Here’s a detailed look at how you can leverage Facebook when job hunting.
- Use Facebook to contact cloud engineers you find on LinkedIn but do not have mutual connections with.
- Utilize Facebook lists as this will enable you to build your social network beyond just your family and friends. This helps broaden your reach.
- You should join cloud computing profession-focused Facebook groups as job openings are frequently mentioned on Business and Organization themed group discussion boards.
- Another way to make the most of Facebook is by liking pages of cloud computing companies you are interested in working for. This will ensure that you are up to date on company news and developments, including job openings.
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4. Make the most of Twitter
Twitter is the ultimate social media site and allows users to connect and follow just about anyone. Let’s explore some of the ways you can use to make the most of Twitter.
Follow the Hashtags
Some companies regularly advertise their job openings on Twitter. To make sure that you don’t miss out on these opportunities, you can search for and follow popular job opening hashtags that these companies use to find applicants. These include:
#cloud, #IT, #Technology, #Datacenter, #Data, #TweetMyJobsCloudEngineering, #HiringCloudEngineers, #NowHiringCloudEngineers, #ResumeCloudEngineering, #JobOpeningCloudEngineering, among others.
Join Cloud Computing Industry Conversations
Twitter is a suitable channel you can use to start building a network of influencers in the cloud computing industry. Find and follow other cloud engineering professionals so you can join in conversations and introduce yourself. When other cloud engineers ask a question or request assistance, for instance, you can participate and show how relevant and useful you can be.
This strategy can increase your chances of finding a new cloud computing job through referrals, rather than applying.
5. Conduct a Social Media Audit
The emphasis here is in order to create the perfect personal brand for yourself, you need to assess your social media footprint and take note of all your social media accounts. When auditing, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you update your accounts regularly?
- Are your social profiles public or private?
- Do you post engaging content that highlights your talents and interests?
If you answer the above questions satisfactorily, then you are good to go. If not, then you need to revise your profiles accordingly.
(Read The Ultimate Guide for a Successful Cloud Engineering Career)
The Bottom Line
If recent trends have anything to teach us, it’s that social media has matured a great deal as a recruitment tool since its early days. It allows organizations to proactively access information about potential candidates. In fact, many organizations are abandoning other tactics and are focusing on social media to identify and source active candidates as well as “passive” ones who are not actively looking for new jobs.
The point here is as a cloud engineering professional you should make the most of social media when job hunting. By leveraging the above strategies and ensuring that you are authentic, transparent and honest as possible, you will be able to connect with a wide range of cloud engineers and also give recruiters more chance to find you and what you have to offer.