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Social Networking & Professional Branding
Must be completed by: July 24 - 2 hour activity

Introduction & Information

Social networking sites have become essential for anyone who wants to be visible to others in their business community. These sites have powerful search engines which can help you track down companies of interest to you.

This activity will provide you with information on some of the top networking sites and how to best present yourself.

During this activity, when you select the links, you will be leaving the Santa Rosa Junior College website. When you go 'off site' the sites may contain commercial content and commentary that has not been reviewed by the college.

Resources

Check-out this great website for resources on Personal Branding.
Student Branding Website

Step One - How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search Using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to Job Search

For this activity, you will read through the content and view some video clips which will give you an overview of Social Networking and Personal Branding. At the conclusion, you will be required to complete a online worksheet to receive activity credit.

LinkedIn
From Guest Author Rachel Levy at About.com

If you're not already on LinkedIn, you definitely need to be. Basically, it's a site that allows you to connect to people you know. It also allows you to see profiles of anyone else on LinkedIn, and gives you ways to connect to them. There are a few ways you can use LinkedIn in a job search:



  • Company Search
    One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is if you have a very specific company you are interested in. You search on that company, and hopefully find people who are connected to other people you know. Then, you can ask your personal contact to connect you. Or, if you pay $30/month, you have the opportunity to email people who you don't have a contact in common with.
    Job Postings - LinkedIn allows employers to post jobs on the site. The jobs are usually high quality, professional jobs.

  • Email - When I was first laid off, I sent a large email to everyone in my LinkedIn network, letting them know of my situation, and asking for any help or people they could put me in touch with them.

  • Blog Link - LinkedIn now gives you the ability to link your blog post to your profile. So every time I post a new blog post, it updates on my profile, so anyone looking at my profile will see what I'm writing about. It also includes the updated post in the weekly update emails that go out to your connections.

  • Twitter Link, - Similar to Blog Link, LinkedIn also pulls your conversations from Twitter. So, anyone who is not on Twitter, can see what you are tweeting about.

How to use LinkedIn

Twitter

The best part of Twitter is that it allows you to connect with people you don't know, based on common interests. What a great way to do some networking!



  • Basic Networking - I am now much more connected to people who are involved in areas I'm interested in. Today I heard about jobs available at two companies. I tweeted two people I met on Twitter, and in minutes I had some information about the jobs.

  • Job Postings - I am connected to a few people who know about jobs that I would not have otherwise known, i.e. @socialmediajob or other recruiters.

  • Connecting - When someone follows me or I follow them, I read their bio thoroughly. If it looks like they work somewhere I might be interested in, or if I think they might be someone who could connect me to others, I get in touch with them. A few have said no or not responded at all, but for the most part, everyone is very open to meeting or talking.

  • Companies - My new favorite Twitter tool is Twellow (on my list of programs I "use regularly"), which actually searches people's bios and URLs on their bios. It's amazing! For example, I did a quick search on Shift Communications, a company I would love to work for and I could see that 13 people from Shift are on Twitter.

Jeff McCord - Job Recruiter - Thoughts on Twitter - scroll down to get to his video clip

Facebook

I use Facebook primarily for connecting with friends or people I know and reconnecting with people in my past. But, it can also be an effective networking tool.



  • Notes - While I do know everyone I'm friends with on Facebook, I don't necessarily know or remember where each person works. And, I definitely don't know where each of their friends work. So, when I first was laid off, I posted a "note" on Facebook, explaining the situation, and what I was looking for. A note tends to stay on people's screens longer than a status update, and you can write much more.

  • Status Update - I do frequently post status updates relating to my job search, to keep it top of mind that I'm still looking for a job. I'll say things like "I had a great interview this morning... keep your fingers crossed!" or "I have a networking meeting later today with a company I'm really interested in!". I also write a status update with a link when I write a new blog post.

Start Here
Please Watch Scott Conrad, IT Director for SRJC, PowerPoint Slide Show on Social Media


SocialNetworkingScottConrad.ppsx

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CATE: Computer-Assisted Teaching Environment
Distance Education office at Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA USA
Last updated: 11:59 on 28 May 2013
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