Over the past few years, traditional business processes have been uprooted by the proliferation of the internet.  Nowhere is that more evident than the recruiting and job hunting process. Fortunately, we can change with the times and stay ahead of the curve, leading to success in finding a job utilizing these new social tools.

The first, perhaps most important step, is to have a solid strategy in place that complements your online endeavor.  This strategy should comprise of ways to make you stand out from the competition.  Ask yourself, have I been taking the time to stay up to date in my field through learning and networking? Do I stay in touch with the people I meet and form meaningful relationships so that I’m made aware of opportunities in the future?  If you said no to either one of those questions, then that’s where to start.

The next step is to look at your social presence from LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and the rest. Is your LinkedIn 100% complete and does it showcase the best of your abilities? Are any of your former colleagues willing to put in a good word for you via a recommendation, and if not then why? If you can’t spend  the hour or two it takes to flesh out a professional profile, what does that say about your work ethic? Once completed, you can then link in with friends, colleagues, and hiring managers to find what opportunities are out there, both published and unpublished (bear in mind that roughly 80% of jobs aren’t posted onto job boards). Make the effort to add new connections to your LinkedIn whenever appropriate.

As far as Twitter and Facebook are concerned, be sure to make your job search known to your network and utilize hashtags (#’s) routinely on twitter to reach far and wide with your #job or #career search in #marketing, for example.  More importantly though, exercise discretion with your “private” profiles. Don’t connect with people you don’t know and get rid of anything that unbecoming.  It’s scary how much some employers can find out about you even when you think your pictures, status updates and comments are private. Remember, when in doubt- cut it out.

Lastly, take the time to see yourself through the eyes of a hiring manager. Does your resume, cover letter and social presence all appear to be the same person? The worst thing you can do as a job seeker is to put on a front or create fake profiles to mask your true identity. It doesn’t take a seasoned vet to know that your Facebook profile with 10 friends and 3 updates is a shell. It’s okay to be private and have a profile hidden, but as soon as you start pretending you’re something else, someone else will be getting the job. No one wants to hire a liar.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be closer to landing that dream job. I should know, for I too am a social job hunter. What is your “top tip” for social media job hunting? Share it below…