Often times I hear of people not wanting to tell anyone they were laid off. They are embarrassed, humiliated and their confidence just took a major hit. But with close to 10% of the US population being unemployed, it is no surprise those who have been laid off feel just awful of the situation. The fact is you are not alone during this time. It is just the sign of the times and let’s face it; the economy will take some time to recover.
Although finding a job may not be as quick as we would like it to be, the tools available today are really making the process much more manageable. Social Media allows users to shout out to the virtual world...I need a job and need it now!
LinkedIn is a perfect way to use your network of contacts to land yourself the next job. I suggest personalizing emails to each of your contacts and letting them know you are back on the market. Make sure all your social networks outlets have a complete profile of you with a short bio on accomplishments, interests and activities. Your accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, Tweeter, etc...) should look and feel professional so silly cartoon characters or compromising pictures of you during happy hour should be removed.
Another good thing to do is to tweet about an article you read that pertains to the industry you are in or tweet about a company you are interested in working for. Before tweeting about companies in which you are interested, make a list of your top 5 companies you would like to work for and find positive articles about them. Share them with your contacts as someone can then lead you to someone who works there or refer you to a human resource person.
When Jen Levy was laid off from her 12 year employment at Discovery Communications she quickly turned to her social media outlets. Not finding employment quickly she was able to connect with a nonprofit organization where she volunteered her time. She used her time there to keep herself motivated and her skills fresh. After a few months of volunteering, she landed a great job at the Food Network. Even though Jen was not officially employed for a few months, her resume had no gaps since her volunteer work filled the void during her unemployment time. Being exposed to the nonprofit business sector also allowed Jen to make new contacts and network herself in a new industry.
As Jen Levy says, “Overall I felt that connecting with people through LinkedIn and sometimes Facebook allowed me to create connections that I would never have known about without social media.”
Now is the time to let the world know you are ready to work, so don’t be shy about announcing your job search. Social media provides the outlet that is not only quick but effective. Jen Levy’s job search experience is proof of how the use of social media landed her a wonderful job opportunity keeping her on her successful career path in media.
-Adriana Muniz
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