Today I participated in a panel discussion at Congressman Jim Moran's Jobs Boot Camp on using social media to look for a job. I took a very loose approach to this topic and first wanted to address some of the challenges with the job market today, and then follow up with information on how technology, primarily social media can aid job seekers. Online profiles are extensions of the person you are trying to be. Embracing it can help you find jobs, but be critical in how you use and how you engage with others who use it.

1. Congressman Moran's Jobs Boot
Camp: Using Social Media to Find a
Job
Dagny Evans
June 25, 2013

2. What’s Wrong with the Job Economy?
• Slow increases in employment/stagnating
unemployment
• Unreasonable expectations?
• Fictional jobs?
• Skills gaps?

3. • Nonfarm employment increased in May by 175,000
• The Q1 flattening of total open jobs however is likely to be felt in the
summer months since there’s a lag of about 2-3 months after a job is
posted before it’s filled
“Hire Economics” by Lou Adler 6/12/13

4. • Jobs in the public market are filled by matching skills listed in the job
posting with those found on the resume.
• Jobs in the hidden market are filled based on internal promotions,
referrals and recommendations, with candidates being assessed on their
past performance and future potential.
“Hire Economics” by Lou Adler 6/12/13

5. The Road to Talent [Infographic]
Hireright 2/25/13
http://bx.businessweek.com/social-media-job-
hunting/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hireright.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2Fthe-road-to-talent-
infographic-recruiting-war-for-talent-social-media-2%2F

12. “How Social Media Could Land your Next Job” Sam Laird 1/23/13
http://mashable.com/2013/01/23/social-media-your-next-job-infographic/

13. Do
• Figure out what your true
skills are
• Target companies you
want to work for
• Plenty of research
• Spend more time
networking
• Volunteer
• Use tag cloud generators
to identify keywords from
job descriptions
• Cultivate your online
presence
• Customize where
applicable (URLs, emails)
• Share things that interest
you, relevant to who you
are and what you do
• Be flexible
• Think small business
• Be generous
• Google yourself

14. Don’t
• Spend more than 20% of time on job boards
• Tell me what you had for breakfast
• Send generic invitations or solicitations
• Apply to jobs without doing your research
• Let everyone know what you are doing on the
weekend – make sure privacy settings are
tight
• Accept everyone

15. TIME SPENT ON RESUMES,
PROFILES AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS

16. Recruiters look at resumes and
online profiles for an average 6
seconds before deciding if the
candidate is a potential fit.
“Little Time for Resumes” Lauren Weber

17. Job seekers spend an average of 49.7
seconds before deciding that a job
isn’t right for them, and an average of
76.7 seconds if they feel the posting
matches their interest and skills. They
were only able to identify good fits at a
rate of 38%
“Why You Keep Applying for the Wrong Jobs” Vivian
Giang 5/2/13

18. NARROW JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND
SKILLS SHORTAGES

19. Like a replacement part, job
requirements have very precise
specifications. Job candidates
must fit them perfectly or the job
won’t be filled and business can’t
operate.
Peter Cappelli’s Home Depot Syndrome Penn Gazzette
Jan/Feb 2013

20. Narrowly drawn job criteria may be
a sign that a company is ignoring
possibilities for alternative, and
perhaps even more effective,
operational strategies.
Trey Popp Penn Gazzette Jan/Feb 2013

21. In that Manpower survey, 11
percent of the employers reporting
skills shortages chalked it up to
applicants unwilling to accept job
offers at the wages companies are
willing to pay.
Trey Popp Penn Gazzette Jan/Feb 2013

22. 75 percent of recruiters are
required to do online research on
candidates, and 70 percent report
they’ve passed on candidates
because of information they found.
Brazen Careerist Jim Hopkinson 6/18/13

23. SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES

24. 80% of jobs are found through
networking.
Brazen Careerist Jim Hopkinson 6/18/13

25. A similar 20/20/60 job hunting strategy
should be used by job-seekers. In this case
20% of the time responding to job postings
by going through the back door rather than
applying through the front, another 20%
ensuring your resume and LinkedIn profile
are easy to find and worth reading, and the
remaining 60% networking to find jobs in
the hidden market.
“Hire Economics” Lou Adler 6/12/13

26. The most successful job candidates…are
“inventors and solution-finders,” who are
relentlessly “entrepreneurial” because they
understand that many employers today
don’t care about your resume, degree or
how you got your knowledge, but only
what you can do and what you can
continuously reinvent yourself to do.
“How to Get a Job” Thomas L. Friedman 5/28/13