TAO Self-help

Social networking (using social media to interact and share information) isn't just about finding posted jobs…it is about building relationships.

Your job search requires you to do more than just apply for jobs online.

Learning how to use social networking sites will help your long-term strategy — by creating new relationships to open doors now and in the future.

Add Social Networking To Your Job Search Mix

LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads (social networking tools) help you create new connections and solidify old connections. Any of these can lead to referrals to jobs.

These tools do not replace anything! They are vehicles to help you find connections, build new relationships and convey your message to a broader audience (faster, cheaper and more effectively).

There Are Many Ways to Search For A Job

You can search for a job using your favorite job board or site. This is probably where you spend most of your time and energy. But you can also:

• visit a company's career page
• talk to recruiters
• and network

What if you invested just a fraction of the time you spent searching job boards with networking activities?

You can and without leaving the comfort of your home.

You Don't Have Time?

So, if I asked you how many hours you spent last week engaged in job search activities, what would your answer be? And if I then asked you how you spent that time, what would you say?

Let me suggest you track your time and activities: how you are spending your time in your job search.

Dedicate Time To Social Networking

Here's an example.

Let's say you spend 10 hours a week searching and applying to jobs online.

Invest 2 of those hours and do this instead.

Log into LinkedIn and use it for just 25 minutes a day. (Focus on LinkedIn first.) If you want, you could allocate time to doing all these activities on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram or Threads.

Here's how to invest those 25 valuable minutes:

• Skim your LinkedIn home feed to see what's being shared
• Comment on interesting articles related to your industry or type of job you are looking for
• Re-share articles that relate to your career (but always write something to explain why you are sharing the article)
• View your notifications for birthdays or work anniversaries and send those connections a message on LinkedIn
• Find new companies of interest to follow
• Track down insiders who might be able to refer you for a job you are interested in
• Look for people you know but haven't connected with yet.

Want more ideas for LinkedIn status updates? Check out this post 25 Inspiring Ideas for What To Post On LinkedIn.

How Do Companies Fill Most Openings?

A large percentage of new hires come from referrals. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to talk to anyone you know and ask them how their company found their most recent hire. Chances are, the candidate they hired was referred by someone.

This is why building relationships is so important to your job search activities and why I suggest you spend more time than you have been.

Your Job Search Activities

The basic job-searching activities haven't changed. However, incorporating the power of social networks into your backpack of resources is worth considering because employers are using social networks to find candidates and promote job opportunities.

Pursuing Job Postings

Job boards like Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkUp, Dice, etc. are still being used by employers. Minimize the time you spend scouring the job boards by creating alerts.

Add the social fix:

When you find a job posted on a job board, go to the employer's website, check out their careers or job opportunity page and see what is there.

Then, see if they have a Facebook, X (Twitter) or LinkedIn button. Follow them on all those platforms.

See what they are posting about themselves, find and follow people who work there, hopefully, in the department or area you are seeking employment.

Building Connections

Now comes the fun part! Don't just send a stranger an invite to connect on LinkedIn. They don't know you…yet.

• Add a thoughtful comment to their posts if they are active on any platform.
• Reshare some of their posts with genuine praise or additional thoughts (be sure to tag their account)
• Respond to their discussion within the LinkedIn groups they belong to
  • FYI: If you share a group with someone and they haven't changed the default security settings, you can send them an email through LinkedIn.
• Learn about the company culture on Facebook, Instagram or Threads and comment on the company posts.

Recruiters Have Jobs to Fill

Find and follow recruiters posting jobs you are interested in. Follow them on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or elsewhere. Then follow the same engagement suggestions from above. This helps you stay on the recruiter's radar.

Your Actions

Invest just 25 minutes a day to find, follow and engage with companies and their employees on different social networking sites to uncover jobs, learn, and build relationships.

Hannah Morgan is one of this year's LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careersand a nationally recognized author and speaker on job search strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to combine her career expertise with her love of writing, speaking and social media. Her mission is to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today's job search process. Hannah is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, Aol Jobs, LifeHacker, The Muse, Business Insider, SmartBrief, Payscale as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.