Getting Hired Over Social Media: Strategies to Build a Personal Brand

“It’s no longer a choice whether we do social media - just how well we do it.”- Erik Qualman

The MLT NYC Regional Chapter Co-Chair, Boris Moyston, and MLT Rising Leaders, Kehinde Adewunmi and myself, highlighted strategies on how to build a strong, strategic brand for yourself across all social media platforms.

Social media is playing a new key role in recruiting and hiring. According to research from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, “being well networked and searchable online” will be just as important in your job search as hiring managers begin turning to social media to directly hire talent versus the traditional corporate application talent pool. Researcher, Ines Black, said in a statement on the results, “What this means is firms are hunting for talent, and finding the right candidate is being firm driven, as opposed to application driven.”

Ask yourself:

  • What do I want to be known for? What is my voice?

  • Do my current social profiles convey this? Are they structurally up-to-date?

Below are some helpful tips for LinkedIn:

  1. Add a professional photo

    • Include you only

    • Recent (new every 3-5 years)

    • In color, no filters (please no Snapchat selfies!)

  2. Write an attention-grabbing headline (this is recommended, but I’m still basic..)

    • 120 characters, use them well

    • Include role and expert topic or skills

    • Use dashes/dividers if you need to

  3. Draft a compelling summary

    • Your first 3 lines don’t require a click, so make them count!

    • Write in first person (be personable and human)

    • Add keywords for SEO

  4. Detail your past work experience

    • Keep short, sweet and up to date

    • Prioritize skills for SEO

    • Add dynamic content if relevant

  5. Customize your URL

  6. Join groups and participate in industry related discussions

  7. Share content and status updates

Mariah Scott