Use Social Media To Highlight Your Experience

When you’re looking for a job, any trick you can use to stand out from a crowd can mean the difference between your resume ending up buried in a stack of paper or in front of the hiring manager. That’s why a number of people are taking their job hunt to social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, with some success. The key however is to make sure your hip, edgy social media campaign doesn’t overshadow your actual experience for the position you want.

Over at Brazen Careerist, a few people who used Twitter, personal blogs and other social campaigns to draw attention to themselves from their favourite companies recount their experiences, what worked for them and what didn’t.

Ultimately, while big campaigns like one man’s Twitter stream and Facebook page to get a job at Krispy Kreme and another woman’s Twitter campaign and website both got them the attention they wanted, only the Krispy Kreme candidate landed the job because he used his campaign to get attention and show off his experience and professional history.

The takeaway is that a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn offensive to try and show the company you want to work for that you’d be a great fit for them will get you their attention, but once you have it, they shouldn’t have to look far to find examples of your experience. If you start a blog dedicated to why you want to be a project manager at Google, you should have some examples of projects you managed on the blog in addition to commentary on how much you want to work there.

Have any of you have used social networks like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to actually land an interview, or talk to a potential employer? Share your experiences in the comments below.

What Works — and What Doesn’t — In a Social Media-Based Job Hunt [Brazen Careerist]