How Social Media Allows You to Reinvent Yourself

I agree were is a good place t start, how do I get started, would you hire a person with' no experience in the system'. I work hard I am a people person I dont mess off and Im a great learner, you wouldn't be disappointed.

When I first started using social media for networking purposes, I didn't have much time to create original content. I reposted stuff, hit the 'like' button a lot and occasionally left a comment on other people's posts. I quickly realized that this wasn't enough to get noticed. So I started creating one well-written, solid piece per day and I posted it along with an appropriate image. Within two or three weeks, people started leaving comments along with questions that I then used to create follow-up posts. As a person who didn't give much credence to social media in the past, I can say that with a little effort, social media has provided one more way for me to meet people in my field that I might not have met otherwise.

What is a good place to start if you aren't using social media? How can you build yourself on those platforms to create the image and information flow you want without just culling information from other sources or using a cookie cutter approach? Providing insight to a strong facebook following is great, but if you don't have a facebook following, is it worth the time and resources to try to build one?

I must admit that social media is indeed becoming a very powerful tool to use in re-branding your professional profile. Employers are more interested to take in young-minded professionals, because they view them as energetic and full of new ideas that are crucial in driving their companies to the next level. Make sure you structure you social media pages to exhibit your professional inclinations and interests to draw the attention of hiring managers to yourself.

Social media can be a powerful tool when recruiting or looking for a job. I think that the advent of the Internet as a whole has changed the way we find employment and apply for jobs. Social media certainly makes vetting prospective employees easier. Sadly, this can work against an employee who uses social media in negative ways or people who choose to maintain anonymity, but for most people a social media presence can be a great tool during the job search.

I disagree with placing too much emphasis on social media as a job applicant. I have personally locked down my own accounts after reading about people who had their reputations trashed by online trolls who disagreed with positions they had taken in their status updates. In one case, it took getting a lawyer to write letters to the social media sites where wrong and disparaging comments and altered photos had been posted, making these individuals look bad. In another, they had to hire an online reputation management company to repair their image.

Thanks for the great comments. @Jay that is truly awesome. We give you all the credit in the world for stepping out on your own. @Lydia this is probably a judgment call. Personally, I would scrub my accounts if I needed to instead of creating a whole new set of social media accounts. It's hard enough to keep track of the ones I have without having two sets. I would think that recruiters would question why, all of a sudden, you had nice brand new social media accounts. We tell job seekers this all of the time - to keep all of their social media accounts clean because you never know when it might be you out there looking for a new job.

I think everyone accepts that social media presence is essential for today's job seekers. But I wonder if this creates a dilemma for people who are already are on social media for reasons unrelated to their careers? What happens if you normally trade jokes, gossip about celebrities or have strong political opinions? Should you scrub your accounts? Or set up new accounts just for your job search? Also do recruiters look at new social media accounts negatively?

When I launched my graphic design business, I used social media to legitimize myself. I created a business profile, paid for the initial "likes," posted engaging content and let my page speak for itself. Eventually, I found myself in a position where I really didn't need to apply for any work any more, because my clients found me and were able to see I was legitimate straight away. I can't recommend social media enough, frankly.

@Shaday absolutely you can include links to your accounts. But one caution here, make sure that you are conveying the same message on that link as you are in your resume and cover letter. For example, if your LinkedIn account is all about how great of a writer you are but your resume is all about how great you are in 3d animation - those would conflict. So if you are going to include links, check them out first!

With so many employers using social media these days, does it make sense to include at least one profile link on your resume, especially if you don't have a personal website? It might show employers that you have nothing to hide, and if you have a common name or you use some other title for your profiles, it can eliminate the possibility that a recruiter reads the wrong profile. The last thing you want is to be dismissed based on someone else's qualifications.

Social media is one of those things that can make or break you. You have to know how to balance your online presence to ensure that you are visible and relevant, but not overusing. Keep your network neat and tidy, only including those that you know will reflect positively on you. Share enough information to make it clear who you are and what you have to offer without revealing too much personal information. Always think about who might see your profiles and the things you post and share before putting it out there.

Thanks for the comments. @Mike - thanks for that viewpoint. @William, even just writing a blog would be better than simply reposting articles written by someone else. And, thanks Mike for letting us know that hiring managers really do look at our social media. We get that question all of the time and it's nice to know that the time we spend is not wasted.

William, I agree 100 percent. The ability to consistently create interesting and relevant content is so much more important than simply having an online presence. As a hiring manager who would sometimes browse through social media when making a decision, I would ALWAYS be more interested in candidates who were able to create content rather than just reposting it. Original content gives you a much better sense of how the person thinks and writes, as opposed to simply reading re-posts and "share"s.

I think creating valuable content has just as much to do with writing a blog, having a YouTube channel and creating weekly stuff for people to read or download. Social media should supplement and complement your reinvention rather than be the key to the entire operation. Why not just create an entirely new social media presence and clear out the cobwebs?

Honestly @Shannon I would think that being a recluse would hurt an individual's chances. Based on articles that I have read around this subject, social media is an important key for a job seeker because companies really do check it out. If they look for you online and don't find anything, they could think that you were hiding something maybe or that you would not fit in their company since you have not embraced social media. Sometimes can be a double-edged sword.

Social media can be a powerful tool for branding yourself during the job search. However, if people do not wish to join social media sites, does it put them at a disadvantage? I'm curious if hiring managers put too much emphasis on social media and not enough on qualifications, skills and experience.