SOCIAL MEDIA & YOUR
PROFESSIONAL BRAND
Social media is a viable means for expanding your professional
network and finding job openings. Studies are showing that an
increasing number of people—one study says 48%—used social
media platforms as a way to search for their current job.
Here are a few ways you can harness the power of social media to
advance your career:
Social media is more than social. In fact, social
platforms can be a very effective way to build your
brand and advance your career.
CLEAN UP YOUR SEARCH RESULTS
Search your name periodically to see what comes up, especially in advance of
submitting job applications. You can be sure that some prospective employers will.
If you don’t particularly like the search results, update your LinkedIn profile and
other social media accounts regularly to raise their rank.
1
GET THE WORD OUT
If you’re job hunting, posting on social media is a good way
to let people know. Something like this: “I’m currently
looking for a job in public relations, either at an agency
or in-house. Let me know if you know of anyone hiring.”
Including a link to your resume will make it easier for a
potential referral source to understand the specifics of your
background and advocate for you.
2
Posting your job search on social media
is risky if you’re currently employed—
there’s always a chance that word will
get to your current employer, which at
minimum would create an awkward
conversation with your boss!
!
Be sure to set privacy
settings as appropriate!
LINCOLN PARK: (773) 325-7431 | LOOP: (312) 362-8437
careercenter.depaul.edu | depaul.joinhandshake.com
See our “Leveraging Your
LinkedIn” handout for more tips!
JOIN INDUSTRY CONVERSATIONS
Twitter and LinkedIn are excellent tools to expand your network and build
your professional brand. The first step is to find and connect with people in
your field, including peers, local professionals and national thought leaders.
This not only connects you with the individuals, it also helps you keep on top
of—and contribute to—trends and hot topics.
3
INSTAGRAM YOUR BRAND
Most of us use Instagram to share stories and follow friends. Using this platform professionally can
add another layer to your brand and demonstrate a useful skill in social media. It’s not a bad idea to
create a professional-only profile and to use this account to research employers, follow companies
and influencers, and generate a portfolio of career-related posts.
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#NowHiring
#Hiring
#TweetMyJobs
#JobSearch
#JobOpening
#JobHunt
USE HASHTAGS TO HEAR ABOUT JOBS
Many businesses post job openings on Twitter and
LinkedIn. A good way to make sure you’re aware of
these opportunities is to find and follow job opening
hashtags. Here are a few:
5
ADD SOCIAL PROFILE LINKS TO YOUR RESUME
An active, well-thought-out social media presence can help you professionally. The right
content can provide prospective employers with a good sense of what kind of person
you are. Because many employers search social media as part of the vetting process,
making it easier by including links in your resume shows you have nothing to hide.
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