If you’re in your 50s or older, Facebook may be your sole experience with social media. But if you’re job searching, embracing social media can help fast-track you to the job you want. Effectively using social sites to enhance both your web presence and resume can confirm your relevancy in today’s more Millennium-centric job market without looking like you’re trying too hard to be hip. Here’s what you need to know if you’re 50+, searching for a job with a social media status that’s either “newbie” or non-existent.
Social Media Channels to Embrace (and Which to Avoid)
You don’t need to run right out and sign up for every social channel that exists. The key is to be selective, because you need to not just have an account but post regularly and meaningfully. These three are good ones to start with:
- LinkedIn – This job-based social channel is a must-have. This is your online resume and Rolodex. Once you get your profile set up, reach out to people you’ve worked with and other professional contacts to beef up your network. Once you have those in place, solicit endorsements of your skills to serve as social proof of your value.
- Facebook – You likely already have a Facebook page, but now you need to think about it from the perspective of a potential employer and clean it up. Change your privacy settings to limit what people can see and, if you have friends who like to tag you in photos that may not be employer-friendly, ask them to stop. Click here to see how to view and remove tags from photos.
- Twitter – This is an easy-to-set-up channel. Be sure to pick a handle that’s work-appropriate and preferably close to your name if your actual name isn’t available. Pick a fun but professional photo that’s not too stuffy, and then see which of your LinkedIn contacts are also on Twitter and ask them to follow you so that you have as many subscribers as possible.
You may also want to consider joining Reddit and social media sites specific to your industry. For instance, IT Central Station is dedicated to networking with, you guessed it, other IT professionals. Here’s a list of specialized social media and social networking sites by category. But don’t go crazy and sign up for too many, because you need to be active on all your channels and that can turn into a full-time job itself.
Don’t bother with Instagram. It’s photo-centric and isn’t a forum to showcase your professional skills (in most cases). Google+ is on its way out, so there’s no need to devote energy to a dying medium. YouTube is not something to tangle with unless you have video editing skills and feel the need to share your thoughts via video (this can be social media quicksand for the uninitiated). You can also skip Pinterest too, unless it’s germane to your field (i.e. decorators, artists, teachers and any visual industry may benefit from this channel).
How to Craft Savvy and Authentic Posts That Get You Noticed (and What to Avoid at All Costs)
PT Barnum said “there’s no such thing as bad publicity,” but he lived well before the advent of social media when your personal faux pas could go viral and become a permanent embarrassment. Plus, he ran a circus.
You want to get noticed in a good way. To do this, you should regularly post on all your channels and in such a way that you establish yourself as knowledgeable in your field or, even better, as a thought leader. Here are some points to keep in mind.
- Don’t beg for a job in your posts. Reeking of desperation won’t help. Instead, use your channels to discuss your industry, what’s trending and interesting current events.
- Don’t like or re-tweet inappropriate posts and don’t follow questionable channels or people.
- Don’t post ubiquitous selfies. This makes you look like a narcissist. Occasional selfies at the top of a mountain you climbed or with an industry leader are okay, but otherwise, photos aren’t your best content strategy (unless you’re a photographer or graphic artist).
- Don’t post anything that’s adult in nature, politically controversial, extremely religious or potentially offensive. When in doubt, keep to the center and don’t veer too far left or right.
- Do post on events in your industry. For example, if you attend a professional conference, mention that you went and highlight some positives.
- Do understand the limits of each channel. On LinkedIn, you can post an entire blog that you’ve written about the industry or a happening, while on Twitter, you get just 140 characters. This is enough for a hashtag, a link to an interesting article (use bit.ly to shorten it) and a brief and savvy comment.
- Do bear in mind that it’s okay for Facebook posts to be less work-centric but be sure to be positive and not express extreme views. Update your privacy settings so that only your friends can see your info to minimize who views this more personal channel. Evaluate each post from the perspective of a potential employer. Also, go back through your timeline and delete any posts, photos, likes and comments that are questionable. Go ahead and clean out any contacts that might be counter-productive to your job search.
- Do make sure that every post is spelled correctly. Punctuation can take a break in a tweet, but not on LinkedIn or Facebook. Never use profanity or any questionable slang.
- Do show your outside interests but make sure they’re compelling and fit for a professional audience. A pic of you paddle boarding or hiking is great. A mention of a cool foreign film you saw is apropos, but you face-smooching your dog, wearing a Speedo (or bikini), drinking alcohol or partying hard should not be shared. Show that you have diverse interests, lead an active life and enjoy stimulating activities — but be judicious.
A couple of posts per week per channel is sufficient, but once you start sharing and posting, you may find that you want to do it more often. An inactive social media profile is actually worse than no profile at all because it can leave the impression that you lack follow-through, aren’t interested in staying up to date or aren’t web savvy. (Click here to tweet this.)
How to Leverage Your Social Media Mojo to Get Hired
A study by Jobvite indicated that 94% of recruiters and hiring managers already use or plan to use social media checks as part of the screening process. Having active and professional profiles can help get you a thumbs-up, but this happens once you’re already in the mix. You can also leverage your online social presence to find jobs and get the attention of employers, hiring managers and recruiters. Here are some steps to take.
- Interlink your LinkedIn and Twitter channels to increase cross-platform viewership. When you post a thought piece on LinkedIn, on the drop down menu by the “Share” button, choose “Share with Everyone + Twitter.” The first time you do this, you’ll be prompted to tie your Twitter account to your LinkedIn profile. Click “Authorize App” to link them – you may be prompted to log in to Twitter to complete the process. This way you get double duty from each post without having to post independently on each channel.
- When you’re targeting a company, search them out on LinkedIn and see if any of the employees are accessible through your existing network. Request to connect. Once you do connect through LinkedIn, you can see the person’s feed and learn more about the company. Job openings are often mentioned in feeds and can give you a heads-up on positions that may not be posted elsewhere.
- Follow industry leaders on Twitter and tweet at them occasionally to try to score a follow. This can put their sights on you and may help you get an invite to interview. Do it thoughtfully, though, and be sure your tweets give them something of value.
- To make apt social media posts, you’ll need to keep tabs on industry trends and happenings. This can keep your skills and knowledge up to date, which can help you be impressively on-point in interviews.
If you’re employed now but are planning a job search soon or know that layoffs are possible, get active on social media now rather than waiting until you’re jobless. Employers prefer to hire those who are already employed, so leveraging social media before you’re jobless can minimize your employment gap. But if you’re already out of work and searching, it’s not too late to get busy on social media.
Other Quick Tips for Mastering the Job Search at the Half-Century Mark
When you’re job searching at 50+, the hard truth is that you have to try harder. You want to appear relevant and energetic, and there are some things you can do to make yourself more appealing to employers to keep the focus off your age and on your skills. Here are some to consider.
- Make sure your appearance is current. Get a good haircut that looks modern, but not overly young. But don’t rush out and dye your hair or take extraordinary efforts to look young. Your goal is to look like the best version of yourself, not like you’re trying to look 20.
- If you wear glasses, consider contacts or make sure your frames are stylish and don’t make you look like Mr Magoo. Lined bifocals will make you look older, as will breaking out the reading glasses (unless you absolutely have to).
- Don’t overdress. Back in the day, a suit was de rigueur for any interview, but nowadays it’s not necessarily the right choice, depending on where you’re interviewing and what the role is. Research the company and the role to make sure what you’re wearing is appropriate.
- Take a more casual posture. Sitting up straight was once respectful but, today, can come off rigid. Emulate the posture of your interviewer — and while you don’t need to be ramrod-straight, don’t slump or get too casual either.
- There’s a good chance you’ll be interviewed by someone younger than you (maybe much younger). Be sure to moderate your tone and don’t push that you have more experience or imply you are superior to them because you’ve been around the block more than they have.
- Make sure your resume is current. Hloom.com offers free resume templates that will keep your job history looking polished. Your resume should be no longer than a page or two (also shave down your LinkedIn resume) to be tight and effective. A lengthier resume will not make you more appealing and may actually turn off a potential employer.
Even after you land your next job, don’t neglect your social media channels. Continuing to build your social presence and network can attract new job offers or impress your current employer into promoting you. And savvy social media activity can land you guest blogging or speaking engagements that can propel you to the next level in your career – no matter your age.
What’s the most intimidating part of social media use? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll look for ways to help!
Image: Flickr
