Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies, 2nd Edition®
,Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/jobsearchingsocialmedia to view this book's cheat sheet.
Table of Contents
Part I: Preparing for Your Job Search
Chapter 1: The Lowdown on Social Media for Job Hunters
Discovering Why Managing Your Online Presence Is Important
Generic résumé blasts don’t work
Getting Ready to Start Your Search
Standing Out with a Personal Brand
Expanding Your Online Presence
Going Proactive, the Social Media Way
Chapter 2: Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Job Search
Developing Achievable Goals for Your Job Search
Looking at your current reality
Setting smaller tasks designed to help you reach your big goal
Setting Up a Home Office for Your New “Job”
Acquiring a working PC and Internet connection
Gathering the other essentials you need
Managing Your Time in a Way That’s Right for You
Taking Advantage of Some Tools to Organize Your Search
Staying Motivated throughout Your Job Search
Looking at how far you’ve come
Chapter 3: Reviewing the Essentials of Online Networking
Making Connections through In-Person and Online Networking
Looking at The Do’s and Don’ts of Online Networking
Avoiding online networking boo-boos
Being an outstanding online networker
Showing your network you care with Newsle
Taking Advantage of Your Connections’ Connections
Getting started with LinkedIn Contacts
Using a CRM system to maintain an active contacts list
Remembering to stay in touch with Contactually
Keeping a List of Online Networks You’ve Joined
Remaining Active in Your Network Even after You Land a Job
Part II: Marketing Yourself with a Personal Brand
Chapter 4: Personal Branding 101
Discovering What Your Personal Brand Is and Why It’s Essential
Branding yourself before someone else does
Setting yourself apart from other job candidates
Maintaining a consistent online presence
Simplifying your decision-making process
Managing your career versus finding a job
Understanding How Social Media Affects Your Brand
Discovering the Elements of a Personal Brand
Getting to Know Who You Really Are
Identifying your niche with the blue ocean strategy
Finding “ins” with target companies and managers by collecting demographics
Gathering Feedback for an Outside Perspective
Getting honest feedback can be tricky
Putting feedback into brand action
Chapter 5: Crafting Keywords, Value Statements, and More
Conducting Keyword Research to Capture Attention
Understanding how Google ranks its results
Identifying your most powerful keywords
Keeping track of and using your keywords for your job search
Putting Together the Value Statement
Choosing a value statement method that works best for you
Surveying some tips for writing a strong value statement
Transferring Your Value Statement to Social Networks
Condensing your statement into a headline
Dealing with your profile picture
Creating a Professional E-mail Address and Username
Chapter 6: Blogging Your Way to a Job Interview
Developing Your Content Strategy
Recognizing your area(s) of expertise
Identifying online mediums to publish on
Using an editorial calendar to keep consistent
Blogging as the Expert on Your Own Site
Selecting the right title and domain name
Communicating effectively within your written post
Writing blog posts in a half hour or less
Getting people to comment and build your credibility
Guest-blogging on high-authority blogs
Crafting the perfect inquiry e-mail
Chapter 7: Facing Your Online Reputation
Reviewing Your Online Reputation
Is your reputation sick or healthy?
Viewing your not-so-private information online
Taking advantage of social media search engines
Using a Paid Reputation Service
Improving Your Reputation and Increasing Your Visibility
Understanding how online reputations are built with SEO
Skipping around the web: Making linking work for you
Being unique if your name is John Smith (or something else common)
Scheduling regular maintenance
Part III: Crafting Web Résumés with LinkedIn, Video, and More
Chapter 8: Updating Your Résumé for an Online Audience
Understanding the Real Function of a Hard-Copy Résumé
Grasping the Benefits of Online Résumés
Customizing Your Online Résumé
Writing for an online audience
Changing the focus from verbs to nouns
Your nouns aren’t the only nouns
What to include and what to leave behind
Generating a Plain-Text Résumé
Looking at Tools That Make Your Résumé Sparkle
Loft Résumés for the style conscious
MyOptimalCareer for a full package
Jobspice to do your formatting
Embracing the Modern Recommendation
Who to ask for an online recommendation
Chapter 9: Using LinkedIn to Put Your Best Profile Forward
Understanding Why LinkedIn Is So Important
Surveying the Elements of a Winning Profile
Writing a professional headline
Summarizing what makes you different
Getting Your Profile in Tiptop Shape
Getting the skills to pay the bills
Requesting really good recommendations
Looking at other essential profile sections
Examining and Expanding Your Network
Adding the people you already know
Joining groups to expand your brand
Discovering Secret Ninja Moves for Your LinkedIn Profile
Understanding the benefits of the job-seeker badge
Leveraging who’s viewed your profile
Following the leaders and the companies
Making yourself easy to communicate with
Exploring Other LinkedIn Features
Adding custom sections to your profile
Chapter 10: Producing a Compelling Video Résumé
Presenting the Chief Components of a Good Video Résumé
Stating (or subtitling) your name and details
Making the position you want clear
Communicating why you’re a great fit
Ensuring Your Video Résumé Stands Out
Adding conflict to spice up your script
Outlining and practicing your story
Turning to a slideshow if you’re camera shy
Relaying the best way to contact you
Producing Your Video and Tying Up Loose Ends
Looking at camera, lighting, and editing software options
Figuring out where to upload it
Chapter 11: Casting a Wide Net with Other Online Résumés
Understanding the Benefits of Online Résumés
Overcoming LinkedIn’s imperfections
Keeping your information up-to-date
Broadening your online presence
Creating Your Multimedia Résumé
Innovating your résumé with Innovate CV
Using DoYouBuzz to produce your résumé
Telling your story with CareerFlair.com
Rethinking the Traditional Résumé Format
Using semantic job-board services
Claiming Your Simple One-Page Portal
It’s all about you with About.me
Suiting your taste with Flavors.me
Consolidating your social media with PRESSi
Organizing your sites with ItsMyURLs
Assembling your social networks with Follr
Keeping track of your posts with RebelMouse
Building a Résumé as a Website
Employing easy website tools to create your personal design
Writing the right content for your website résumé
Part IV: Using Twitter, Facebook, and Other Sites to Find a Position
Chapter 12: Uncovering the Hidden Job Market with Twitter
Tweeting Your Way to the 21st Century
Seeing what separates Twitter from other social networks
Discovering How Twitter Can Help You Find a Job
Revealing how recruiters use Twitter
Setting up Your Twitter Profile for Job Searching
Choosing your name and username
Writing your 160-character bio
Tweaking other Twitter settings
Knowing What (And What Not) to Share
Growing Your Followers and Friends
Knowing who to follow back and who to block
Uncovering your city’s underground Twitter job board
Exploring other Twitter job-seeking tools
Time-Saving Secrets for Using Twitter Efficiently
Surveying Twitter-management tools
Using automation tools for Twitter
Optimizing your experience with lists
Chapter 13: Using Facebook as a Job Hunter
Getting the 411 on How Facebook Really Works
Discovering Why Facebook Needs to Be a Component of Your Job Search
Other important privacy features
Presenting the Missing Facebook Manual for Earnest Job Seekers
Editing your profile for hiring managers’ eyes
Practicing good timeline etiquette
Promoted posts make sure your message is seen
Essential Facebook Apps for Job Seekers
Chapter 14: Getting Familiar with Other Networks for Job Hunters
Choosing the Right Networks to Join
Emerging Social Networks That Are Worth Your While
Using Your Phone to Get Hired: Mobile Recruiting Trends
Focusing on International Networking Forums
Browsing Networking Sites for Visual Creative Professionals
Part V: Executing Your Proactive Social Media Job Hunt Strategies
Chapter 15: Triangulating Opportunities, Companies, and People to Target
Taking Advantage of Niche Job Boards to Find Opportunities
Using Google search strings to ID hidden job boards
Considering other niche job boards
Automating Craigslist for fast job-posting alerts
Following Twitter for job postings
Hello, Hiring Manager! Finding Decision Makers through Key Social Sites
Looking to LinkedIn for information
Seeking out key folks on Twitter
Spying on Hiring Managers before They Spy on You
Setting up Google Alerts with managers’ names
Picking up relevant information from LinkedIn profiles
Listening to what managers say
Asking Your Social Media Network for Help
Organizing All the Data You Gather
Chapter 16: Discovering a Company’s Needs
Staying on Top of Industry News with the Help of Social Media
Finding the top news websites for your industry
Getting news delivered to you with RSS feeds
Joining industry groups on LinkedIn for news
Mining Twitter for real-time feedback on industry issues
Following Companies through Their Social Networking Sites
Drawing Conclusions about a Company’s Needs and Your Fit
Chapter 17: Embracing the Informational Interview for an Insider Advantage
Tracking Down the People with the Information You Want
Using LinkedIn to find info sources
Using Facebook to find info sources
Using Twitter to find info sources
Looking at the news to find info sources
Other effective networking apps
Asking for a Meeting the Right Way
Conducting an Informational Interview That’s a Win-Win for Everyone
Leading the discussion in your info interview
Knowing what questions to ask about a specific company
Asking for permission to stay in touch
Thanking Your Contact, Social Media Style
Chapter 18: Engaging with Hiring Managers through Social Media
Reaching Out to the People with the Power to Hire You
Getting introduced on LinkedIn
Generating curiosity with Twitter
Calling in a favor on Facebook
“Apply First”: Dealing with HR’s Insistence on Following the Rules
Using social media to get an edge when applying to a well-known company
Impressing a smaller company with your social media prowess
Turning Rejection into a Chance to Improve
Chapter 19: Ten Ways the Job Search Has Evolved in the 21st Century
The First Page of Google Has Become Your New Résumé
Résumés and Cover Letters Aren’t Read on Paper Anymore
Relationships First, Résumés Second
Employers Only Care about What They Want
Employers Expect You to Be Prepared
Chapter 20: (Almost) Ten Ways to Stay Up-to-Date with Social Media Changes
Set Up Weekly Summary Newsletters
View Real-Time Web Updates with RSS Feeds
Make New Technology-Savvy Friends
Chapter 21: Ten Common Mistakes People Make When Using Social Media
Forgetting That Social Media Is Just a Tool
Failing to Think of What Hiring Managers Need to See
Having an Incomplete or Outdated Online Presence
Revealing Too Little Personal Information
Not Understanding the Etiquette of the Networks They Use
Failing to Keep Up with Their Networks When They’re Employed