How to Harness The True Power of Social Media In Your Job Search

Back in July of 2009, my life was quite a whirlwind of confusion.  Corn on the Job  launched that month, just 4 months after the entire HR department (that means me) was cut after an acquisition at my company.  Initially, I created this here blog as a way to give back and help job seekers, but blogging and the quick mastery of social media gave my job search more than I could ever imagine.

You see, at that time in my life, I was lacking direction and focus.   I had just about 4 years of experience in recruiting and was close to finishing my Masters in Human Resources from Villanova University.  On paper one might assume I was being prepared for HR Glory.  To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled.  Going back to what was familiar just wasn’t exciting anymore.

The True Power of Social Media

The social channels I used, specifically Twitter, gave me access to basically anyone I wanted.  While I was connecting with job seekers, I also was able to reach out to other bloggers, recruiters, HR folks, and others who felt lost like I did.

What did I do?

I started packing my days with phone calls.  I used Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin to start the conversation and build connections.  Then I’d reach out and see if they had interested in chatting on the phone.  Everyone had interest.  No one turns down a phone call.

It was then that I realized the true power of social media.  Insert smile face.

The conversations I had were highly inspiring and shed light on new areas for my  career and/or new paths I could take.  I even remember very warm job leads coming from those first phone calls I had.  It was unreal.

I can still remember my first calls with Jessica Miller-Merrill, Maren Hogan, Mark Stelzner, Steve Levy, Sarah White, Jason Seiden, William Tincup, Matt Cheuvront, and so many others.

Social Media led to reconnecting with Marty McDonald, the dude who started Bad Rhino with me this year.  He and I had worked at the same company for a short time in 2005, and the new 2.0 world gave us a chance to catch up again.  Not only did this reconnect lead to a contract recruiting gig in the summer of 2011, it ultimately led to the formation of Bad Rhino, a company I grow more proud of with each day that passes.

Pack Your Week With Phone Calls

Start utilizing the true power of Social Media and take the conversation offline.  Social Media is where the conversation starts, but you MUST take it to the next step with your connections.

Build your connections through tweets, status updates, Linkedin group conversations, or however you’d like.  Once you feel comfortable, ask someone if they’d like to chat on the phone or on Skype.   You’ll find that “no” is a rare answer.

When Do I Talk About My Job Search?

On your calls, simply have a conversation.  Sounds easy, but it may be difficult to not jam, “I need a job badly, can you help me?”, somewhere in the call. Simply ask folks about their world, their career, and their life.  Trust me, they’ll ask you about your situation.  That’s when you bring up your career and what you’re looking for.

You’ll be surprised how many new ideas for your career and search come up because of these phone calls.

How Many Phone Calls Per Week?

I’m challenging you to schedule five phone calls per week.  It’s not that bad.  Don’t fuss or fight me on this.

If you were to have five phone calls per week (20-25 per month), I can almost guarantee you’ll increase your job leads, phone screens, and interviews.  You’ll also gain insight from others about who you are and what you need to do with your life.

Who is going to take me up on the challenge?  Any questions?