Social Media, and Your Job Search, Gone Mobile

Whether you've got an iOS, Blackberry, or Android baed mobile device, social media is now fully accessible anytime, anyplace, right from that tiny device in your back pocket. Which means for you, job seekers, you can tap into job postings, communicate with companies, and build your online presence from wherever you are. There's several apps on my mobile devices that I've found essential to maintaining an online social presence, and there's some really great ways to tailor these apps to fascilitate an easy, effective online job search.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is one of my favorite apps, simply because you can manage multiple Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other accounts right from one application. You also have access to your lists and feeds, which if you're following a lot of people can help you sort through them. My advice for you job hunters out there would be to create a few lists- your favorite job hunt advice gurus, companies you'd like to work for, accounts that push out job opportunity posts- and access them a few times a day, on your morning commute or your afternoon coffee break.

You can grab Hootsuite on your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android devices.

Twitter

While Hootsuite can manage most accounts on its own, I still really like having the Twitter app installed for those times where I just want to access tweets. The app also allows you to view your diect messages, see who's been following or retweeting you, and view the Discover section, one of my favorite features of the new Twitter. Using Discover, you can easily view and track trending topics, hashtags that interest you, and see who to follow. During your job search, monitoring those hashtags and direct messages can be imperative, so be sure and install Twitter as soon as you create your own account.

Twitter is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone 7.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the professional and career social network, so having access to it wherever you go is key to an effective job search. On the application, you'll be able to access your Feed, check up on your Groups, read messages in your inbox, search for colleagues and connections, and update your profile. Definitely not a replacement for the full, desktop experience, but definitely a great way to squeeze in some networking between those interviews and phone calls.

LinkedIn is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm devices.

Have you used any other mobile apps in your job search? Tell us in the comments.

Are You Job Hunting in the NYC Area?

So far I've blogged a lot about what I've learned becoming a social media marketer- today I'd like to talk about where I've learned it.

I execute social media for two staffing firms based in New York City, trying to find them great candidates like you, dear readers, for them to place in their exciting job openings.

Russell Tobin & Associates is a great place to start your job search, especially after college. They're who found me my position here at Pride Technologies and I couldn't be happier. And they staff for pretty much everything you can think of, from IT to legal to administrative work.

To learn more about Russell Tobin, visit their website, or check them out on Facebook.

If you're looking for something within the healthcare industry, Pride Healthcare is who to turn to. From nurses to direct care workers to medical transcriptionists, they will work hard to place you in a job you'll love in a location that is convenient for you.

You can find out more about Pride Healthcare on their website and on Twitter.

What great resources have you discovered in your job search? Let us know in the comments. 

Beyond the Profile: How to Succeed on LinkedIn

Beyond the Profile: How to Succeed on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an incredible resource in an online job search, but must be used effectively. When I first started using the site, I thought just making a profile was the key to finding and getting my perfect job. But it isn’t. After using LinkedIn in my own social media recruiting efforts, I’ve found that people who follow these steps are most effective at creating an online presence for themselves on LinkedIn, which can be used to achieve your career goals.

Complete your profile.

It’s one thing to create a LinkedIn profile; it’s another thing entirely to complete it. You might not think that adding a profile photo, updating your skills and specialties, or linking your Twitter account will all aid your job search efforts, but they will! LinkedIn is all about creating an online, professional presence for yourself, so the more a potential employer can learn about you right on your page, the better.

Connect!

Connecting with former employers, colleagues, and friends can aid tremendously in your job search. You never know who they might be able to connect you with, and a job search can be just as much about who you know as what you know.

Join some groups.

It’s easy to join groups on LinkedIn- just search for groups in your field, your high school and college, and your area. Staying active in groups that interest you will lead to more connections, and therefore more contacts. Plus, groups are a great way to find job postings that might not show up on other job boards, or even in LinkedIn searches.

Search and apply for positions.

My favorite thing about LinkedIn is the job postings. It’s really simple to find and apply for jobs on LinkedIn, and once you upload a resume and cover letter to the site, it takes mere moments to send in your application. You can view all of your applications in one area, so it’s easy to keep track of what you’ve applied for and where. And since you’re applying for a position on the site, whoever receives your application will have easy access to your LinkedIn profile so they can learn more about you, which is why it's so important to keep your profile up to date.       

Recommend former colleagues.

I feel great writing a recommendation for former colleagues, not only because it gives me a chance to help someone out, but because it helps me flex my writing muscles. It shows that I'm engaging with my LinkedIn connections. When you're recommending someone, think about all the great things you're saying about them, and think about how you'd like others to view you. 

What have you found effective on LinkedIn? Tell us in the comments.