Using Social Media to Develop Your Network and Career

Mark HennesseySenior Recruiter, ACT

Session Objectives• Gain an understanding of why using Social Media

is critical for finding opportunities and advancing your career

• Learn best practices in creating your profile and building a social network

• Learn how a small investment of time in developing your network can pay huge dividends in your career

• Learn the Do’s and Don'ts of using Social Media in a job search

A Little Data About Social Media

• If Facebook were a country it would be the 3rd most populated in the world, ahead of the U.S.

• 968 million daily active FB users on average in September 2014

• 95% of companies are using LinkedIn to recruit

• 59% use Facebook• 42% use Twitter

*Statistics from Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter

• LinkedIn is an Internet platform company focused on connecting the world’s professionals

• Website launched in 2003 and is the world’s largest professional network– 380 million members in over 200 countries across the globe– More than 3 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages– Over 2 new members per second

*Statistics from LinkedIn

Your Profile (And How to Get Found)

• Photo• Work History/Summary/Specialties – resume

feature • School• Interests• Contact Settings – use name (dot) (at) format• Be honest – People will call you out

The closer to 100% complete, the better!

How to: Manage Security Settings on LinkedIn

Please be sure to check your activity feed setting first to ensure your network can see your updates!

How To: Editing URL and Contact Info

Create a customized URL with your name vs. numbers.

Ensure you check off that your summary, picture, etc. are visible to the public.

For Web site links that you add to your profile, select Other and rename each link to include meaningful keywords, i.e. instead of it saying “My Company” it should say “ABC Website.”

Additional Recommendations

Add other components to profile like relevant publications, patents, recent awards etc.

If you are published add the links, etc.

Personal account: Aim to reach over 500+ connections in order to increase search ranking

Also, ask colleagues and peers for recommendations.

How To: Adding a Summary Section

Add a Summary section within the Background section. Tip: Write in the first person

Be concise, engaging and specific in the summary field of your LinkedIn page.

Express your personal brand in the LinkedIn summary.

You want to show who you are, what you do, and why it's unique.

This is also a chance to weave in relevant information about your current or past employer

You can include video here too (use the option next to Edit or the box below to add links).

How To: Editing Work Experience

1. Check that the official company name is listed as your current company. This will add the logo to your account and link to our company page.

2. Ensure your current experience is correct with clear bullets about your role.

3. Include a boiler plate about your company so those interested can learn more.

4. You can add relevant videos / decks here that are related to your role and others may find valuable.

After: Profile Updated

How NOT to Make a Good Impression

• 29,179 users who are in “mangement”• 51,187 users who are “mangers”• Only 45 Exceptional “commincator”s but

120 “communcator”s• 4,431 users who are a “professonal” and

480 who simply are “professonals”• 6,340 who are in “Business Devlopment”

Groups• 50 Limit• Members• Rules• Job Boards• National & Local – Corridor Job Club,

LinkedIowa, Diversity Focus, Alma Mater

Viewing Group Members

InMail• Why InMail?

– You can reach out to people you may not actually have a 'face to face' relationship with

– You can send a message to the people that you need to contact without relying on a long chain of contacts using LinkedIn Introductions

– You can contact a LinkedIn member without knowing that person's email address

– You don't have to be a premium member to receive or respond to InMails

– There is a 7 day guaranteed response. If no response is received within 7 days your account will be credited with an InMail on the 8th day.

– Cost is $10 each with a free account

This Doesn’t Work AnymoreTo Whom This May Concern:   I am interested in a position with your company, I and believe that my education and

employment background that is equivalent to a significant amount of relevant experience together are appropriate for this position. I am confident that my background and skills in journalism, free lance writing and print media with additional exploration in social media research will prove to be an effective match for your qualifications.

                        I believe that the combination of my print media, journalism, newspaper writing and editing

experience is well-suited to the position you described. I have enclosed a copy of my resume as a Word attachment with additional information about my qualifications. I am also willing to volunteer or intern with your company to obtain the necessary skills to use in the Mass Communication field, I look forward to receiving your reply.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,XXXXXX

Really? Is it that big of a deal?

• 94% of recruiters use or plan to use social media in their recruitment efforts

• 79% of recruiters have made a hire through social media. Up from 58% in 2010

*2014 Jobvite Social Media Survey

Introductions• It is a 2 way street – be willing to give and receive• Introductions let you contact members in your extended

network through the people you know• All LinkedIn members (even those with free accounts) have

a certain number of introductions they can request • Introductions expire after 6 months if the receiver doesn't

respond• Once the member accepts your introduction you can

exchange information and do business• You won't become 1st degree connections unless one of

you invites the other to connect and the request is accepted

Invitations• Template – just change the name• Add value• The dreaded “IDK”• Limited number and eventually will have to

request additional invites

Templates Hello, As a member of the Corridor Job Club group, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m looking for a new opportunity (AS A

BLANK) (OR IN THE FIELD OF) and wanted to connect with industry experts. If you are not open to connecting, please ignore this invitation.

Thanks! Mark Hennessey

Hello, I am hoping that you will help me with an introduction to XXX. I came across XXX profile on LinkedIn and wanted

to introduce myself. I am looking for a new opportunity (AS A BLANK) (OR IN THE FIELD OF). Given XXXX background, I thought XXX may be willing to share their expertise. If you are not open to helping, that

is fine. Please ignore this invitation. Thanks for your assistance! Mark Hennessey

Hello, I came across your profile on LinkedIn wanted to introduce myself. My name is Mark Hennessey with ACT. I’m

looking for a new opportunity (AS A BLANK) (OR IN THE FIELD OF) and wanted to connect with industry experts such as yourself. If you are not open to helping, that is fine. Please archive this InMail. If you would like to connect to help build both our networks, just let me know the e-mail address for the invitation since this does not actually connect us.

Thanks in advance for the consideration. Mark Hennessey

Connections• Kevin Bacon – 6 Degrees of Separation

How big is your digital Rolodex

Importing Connections• Use the address book importer to import your

address book directly from web-based email clients such as Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, or use the Outlook address book importer

Free vs. Premium• What is the cost and is it worth it?

– Basic account is free and will typically allow you to only a limited number of people per search and no InMails

– Job Seeker is $29.95 per month (5 Inmails, more search results)

– Job Seeker Plus is $59.95 per month (10 InMails, More Invitations and search results)

– Job Seeker Premium free for Veterans – 1 yr

Free vs. Premium• Corporate Accounts

– Basic account is free and will typically allow you to only a limited number of people per search and no InMails

– Business is $24.95 per month (5 Inmails, more search results 300)

– Business Plus is $47.99 per month (8 InMails, More Invitations and search results)

– Professional is $64.99 per month (15 InMails)

Job Seeking• People – 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree connections• Companies – follow companies• Groups – search for contacts within a group• Compliance – you will likely have to apply to the

company website for compliance reasons

How do I find potential connections?

Search Tips• Use generic title keywords rather than specific

skills• Booleans (AND’s, OR’s, -’s)• Use filters to narrow by: location, industries,

groups and company names• Company Profile searches with employees

LI Extra’s• Send an invite to new contacts this week• Use your Outlook signature line• Updates – remember to add value• Link to Twitter• Use important search keywords

throughout your profile

• Personal yet professional• Profile – Settings – HIGHLY recommend

private• Generational differences – Grandparents

can keep up with their grandkids• Photo’s – careful about tags• Graph Search

• “Don’t be an egg” • Tweets - 140 characters• # hashtags and @ mentions• Profile – can I be found?• Followers/Following• Outlook signature• Finding people with Tweets

• Over 284 million active users• Over 500,000,000 per day• www.hootsuite.com• www.twuffer.com

*Statistics from Touch Agency

• April 23, 2005 – 1st Video Uploaded• May 2010 – YouTube exceeds 2 billion

views per day• Second most popular search engine next

to Google

• *Statistics from You Tube

Other Sites

Privacy Settings

Do you want the world to know you are gone?

Just viewed by friends

It’s my life!

Final thoughts• Out there FOREVER• It takes time to build a network• Keep it fresh and learn from other power users• Add value to your posts, be someone that

people want to hear from

If you thought this was helpful

Then please…• Follow me on Twitter @markhennessey• Invite me on LinkedIn http://

www.linkedin.com/in/markhennessey• Contact me at mark.hennessey@act.org

Easy First Steps/Homework• Complete your profile within 72 hours• Connect with me on LI and or Twitter• Follow at least 5 companies• Spend at least 20 minutes a day adding

new connections (10 per day x 5 days = 50 new connections per week or 200 a month)