Using social media to find your next job

In the final part of the series on How to find your NEXT job, Ketan Kapoor, Co-founder and CEO, Mettl, underscores on how social networking sites can help you land up a job.

Read Part I HERE; Part II HERE, and Part III HERE.

Things to know before finding your next job…

There are two basics, which look simple but most people tend to ignore them. Before finding your next job, you must assess your skill-sets.

The second important check is whether your skills match the requirements of the new job.

Preparations while looking for a new job…

Ensure that your resume is up to date with all the projects in the previous assignment.

Your LinkedIn profile should be up to the mark as well.

If there are profiles on other job sites, then they need to be updated too.

Start talking to your immediate network about openings and start setting alerts for the kind of openings you are looking out for.

Preparations once a job opportunity is found...

Ensure that you have a thorough knowledge of the basics of the field you are in and you are on top of the news in the industry.

Understand the business and products/services of the company that you intend to apply to. Then chalk out how you, with your skills, can add value to their organisation. This basic study will help in all the screening processes.

Using social networks to find new jobs...

Social networks are a huge help these days—LinkedIn being the leader here—with the recommendation, profile sharing and job posting opportunities.

Facebook and Twitter are becoming an effective medium to discover jobs, get referred and even apply.

Individuals are using their social networks as referral networks and getting friends to join their companies.

Part I: New job, new you?

Part II: Are you ready for your next job?

Part III: 3 keys to a successful job search