- Home
- Networks
- Topics
- Blogs
- Co-op Blogs
- Arts and Social Sciences Co-op Blog
- Beedie School of Business Co-op Blog
- Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology Co-op Blog
- Communication Co-op Blog
- Computing Science Co-op Blog
- Contemporary Arts Co-op Blog
- Engineering Co-op Blog
- Environment Co-op Blog
- Health Sciences Co-op Blog
- Interactive Arts & Technology Co-op Blog
- MSE Co-op Blog
- Science Co-op Blog
- Sustainable Energy Engineering Co-op Blog
- Communique
- ENGAGE
- Peer Education
- Co-op Blogs
- Galleries
- Learn
- Indigenous
- EAL/ESL
- iBelong
Backpack to Briefcase Recap: How to Leverage Your Online Presence to Land a Job

Backpack to Briefcase Recap: How to Leverage Your Online Presence to Land a Job
By: Mike Wong
When it comes looking for work today, the rules of engagement in this modern job-finding battle have changed with the advent and assimilation of social media. Gone are the days of simply dropping off your resume at the organizations you want to work for; now you have to apply for jobs that have stream-lined application processes. Employers now have the power and omnipotent ability to shortlist applicants simply by searching for your name online. To combat this, you must be present online, and by present, you must have a positive and an established online brand to differentiate yourself and prove to a prospective employer that you are the best of the best. So how do you leverage your online presence to land a job?
Kelvin Claveria, an SFU alumnus, who presented “Advanced Tips on How to Use Social Media to Find Your Next Gig” at SFU Career Services’ Backpack to Briefcase conference offered the following:
- Have a consistent, online brand – Many of you have multiple online profiles, such as Facebook Twitter, etc. Ensure that you use consistent and appropriate user names when opening these accounts. Additionally, use your real name, fill out your profile and make sure you have a professional photo! This makes it easier for recruiters to search for you, and what they pull up will help create a positive image of yourself.
- Follow potential employers – The fastest way to find out when an employer is hiring is when they post it. On Facebook, add the company page to your “Interest Lists”, create private lists on Twitter to follow employers and monitor keywords such as “hiring” and/or “#jobs”.
- LinkedIn – A new social networking tool which is now the defacto tool that almost all employers are using before they shortlist you for an interview. The most important thing to work on is your “Summary”, which is equivalent to your cover letter. This catches the employer’s attention and encourages them to read the rest of your virtual resume.
According to Claveria, 98% of recruiters are on social media, and 97% of those recruiters are now hiring through LinkedIn. A former Co-op student from Work Integrated Learning reported that the British Columbia Lottery Corporation approached him about a position when they stumbled upon his LinkedIn profile.
If you would like to find out more about how to further bolster your online personal brand, and how to use social media to actively search for your jobs, visit Kelvin Claveria’s blog where he discusses how to use social media to find your next job.
Photo credit: kcclaveria.com
Additionally, you can follow his presentation from last weekend below:
Posted on March 20, 2013
Submitted by Mike Wong on Wed, 2013-03-20 13:51 by Mike Wong
- Mike Wong's blog
- Login to post comments
- 4460 reads
RELATED TOPICS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Today's Top
![]() |
Top Tip Lists 8 Interview Tips For Impressing a Hiring Manager [83] |
![]() |
Top Tip Lists Lost in Technical Translation: How to Succeed in an Unfamiliar Environment [79] |
![]() |
Event Summaries Highlights from the “Preparing for a Government of Canada Interview” Webinar [61] |
![]() |
Mental Health and Addictions Mental Health Wellness Tips for Quarantine [61] |
![]() |
Career Services How Social Media Affects Your Chance of Getting Hired [57] |
Interviews 10 Tips on Answering Interview Questions Effectively [85] |
|
Volunteering Alumni Spotlight: Chris Lo [56] |
|
Indigenous Career Resources NENAS: North East Native Advancing Society [25] |
|
Workplace Transition Top Ten Tips for Co-op Work Term Success [21] |
|
Work Search Working with Grace: Top Tips for Pre-Screen Interview Success [18] |
[Blog] Life Experience Just Like Bunko: It's Not About You [1] |
|
[Story] Interviews Preparation = Successful Interview! [1] |
|
[Story] Interviews Acing Phone Interviews [1] |
|
[Story] Career Exploration We Are All Canucks: Dreams Come True [1] |
|
[Story] Interviews The Dirty Dozen Interview Questions (Part I) [1] |
7 seconds
From Forbes Magazine.
You have 7 seconds to make a first impression:
...
You're Welcome!
Just wanted to say a big "you're welcome!"
I think though, that we also owe you a big thank-you for all of your fantastic...
There but for the grace of
There but for the grace of God go I, reoccurs for me in periodically and I smile warmly and am grateful.
Thank you for your...
Uhoh, now you've sent us down
Uhoh, now you've sent us down a black hole of Youtube Conan clips......
Our failures define us
Conan's quote is incredibly profound..but not quite as profound as his "String Dance."