In this ultra-fast information age, social media is the platform almost everyone uses for a range of reasons. It is not news that many organizations now use social networks to influence their hiring processes. It could range from advertising jobs on their social platforms to looking up candidates and contacting candidates directly. I will be dwelling on how social networks could be contributing to candidate application and/or selection. You would learn how you can harness social media to achieve your application goals.
Social Media as a tool for branding
Social media can be a powerful tool to brand yourself and stand out for your graduate application. Some scholarships like Chevening want to know how good you are at networking and building relationships. As such, social network is one avenue to achieve that. As you begin to have conversations in your line of interest, you gradually build a community along with that interest and subsequently establish yourself as a specialist in that area.
Do Selection committees check your Social Media profile?
Checking out a candidate online can be as easy as googling them and finding them on different social platforms. There is still a debate about whether selection committees should use social media and presence as a selection criterion or not. It is there advisable to clean up your social media and update it with relevant information that can help a potential recruiter get more information about you to augment their decision-making process. Run a quick search of your name on Google and see what others can find out about you. Ask yourself whether your online profile could harm or boost your candidacy.
Tips to boost your application through Social Media
Some faculty members put out their adverts on social platforms to reach a wider audience. Social media is an inexpensive way of advertising projects while still being able to attract bright talents. This bypasses the conventional expensive approach of going to popular job search websites to advertise the position(s). The good thing about adverts made via social network is that it creates an icebreaker and brings in an element of familiarity when you contact the faculty. When you say something like:
“I have been a keen follower of your updates on Twitter and recently I saw your tweet about an opening for XXX position”.
That alone removes the ‘cold’ aspect of the email. I would advise against sending them a direct message (DM) on social media even if they shared the post on their social networks. I would go through the old-school email way and would use DM as the last resort if I don’t get replies to the email even after a follow-up.
Check hashtags and profiles. One tip in searching for scholarships on social media is to check popular hashtags for the kind of application you are looking for. It could be #scholarships #studyabroad. Some social media platforms like LinkedIn allow you to follow hashtags so that you can be notified about posts with the hashtag.
Because a lot of faculty members use social media, you may often come across posts about their recent research. Following them on social networks can give you a sense of the kind of research that is currently in your area of interest.
So far, we have seen how social media can help you brand yourself, know the latest research in your area, and find open positions. I hope you can make the best of it.
Now your turn. In what ways do you think your use of social media could have an impact on your application?