Submitted by Victoria Andrew, Professional Writer, Editor, and Blogger
The following concludes our previous post. Let us know what you think as well and how the activities worked for you…
2) Zumeo.com
Zumeo.com is a job search site specifically for recent graduates. The job listing feature is very user-friendly and has a diversity of filters allowing you to search for jobs based on location, your personality type, your education, and other aspects of yourself not typically offered on other career search sites
Once you click on a job posting, more info is provided and you can click to view the company’s profile, view it on a map, or go to the actual job posting where you can apply for the job. Users can also browse by company.
Users can multiple upload files to develop a professional portfolio, showcasing your past projects. Zumeo also creates an online resume automatically with a brief description, your objective, experience, skills and education. Although this functional approach is not recommended, it may give you the basic information and inspiration to create a dynamic and compelling resume.
If you’re looking to network, Zumeo allows you to connect with other users, join company communities, and submit endorsements of other users.
Activity:
Sign up for Zumeo.com with your email or through Facebook Connect. Proceed to fill out a survey and on-line assessment to determine your strengths, talents, interests, and jobs matching your personality, goals, and skills.
3) Create a Blog
Blog about whatever interests you – music, books, politics, sports, food, whatever it may be. In the perspective of social media networking for your career search, the content is not as important as revealing that you are opinionated and confident enough in your writing to share it with a community of online readers. You definitely garner bonus points too if you’re able to create a blog that has a substantial following, as this demonstrates an entrepreneurial side that most employers love.
Activity:
Write a list of ideas, topics, and issues you feel passionate about. Our of your lists of interests, passions, and even obsessions, choose one you can confidentially write about on a weekly (or even daily) basis. Then, set up a blog in just a few key strokes by utilizing services such as Blogger or WordPress. You shall definitely get bonus points if you’re able to create a blog that has a substantial following, since this shows an entrepreneurial side most employers appreciate.
4) Create a LinkedIn Profile
For those of you that don’t know, LinkedIn is essentially a Facebook for professionals. You’re able to provide a skeleton version of your resume and you can also connect to any professional or work-related relationships you have developed throughout the years. Employers are able to see this version of your resume, interests you have, and also the people that you’re connected with. By creating this profile, employers are able to see how you interact and communicate with other professionals like yourself.
Activity:
Launch your own LinkedIn profile! Even if you feel you have minuscule professional/corporate experience as a recent graduate, take inventory of your achievements in internships, volunteer work, and classroom projects producing quantifiable results. Having a profile will demonstrate a level of professionalism, ambition, and sophistication over and above typical college graduates.
5) Create a Twitter account
Twitter is an excellent way to get yourself involved in the community, show your thought process, and your opinions on many different subjects. Yes, you can tweet that you’re going to eat a sandwich or that you’re dressed in a red boa for Gay Pride, but we would recommend tweeting more on your thoughts, opinions, revelations, and discoveries on the job search quest. Employers will thus see that you’re an intelligent individual and that you’re able to communicate effectively, even if it’s only in the form of 140 characters.
Activity:
Create your own Twitter account and resist the temptation to tweet about trivial, everyday life experiences. Push yourself to a new level and tweet only about your career interests and job search. Demonstrating such discipline and restraint will set you apart from the crowd and reveal a higher level of sophistication than others your age.
Fine-tune your list of potential network contacts and set a goal to contact a certain number each week or month. Arrange to meet with as many contacts as possible, and always ask each one for more referrals. Send thank you notes, and update your contacts regularly on your progress.
Ultimately, job seekers should aspire to take advantage of any extra edge that they can get. Capitalizing social media is an excellent way to get your name out there, to brand yourself, and also to potentially network with future employers or references. By taking the fullest advantage of social media, the world shall be your oyster.
Thanks Victoria, you are greatly appreciated…
dhuffman,
career services international / education career services
[email protected]
