Many companies are using social media sites as a channel for recruitments. Unnati Narang from Times of India talks to Ritesh Raj Gupta and tells you how you can make the most of it.
Social media is the new age order. Gone are the days of looking through telephone directories to find people. No longer is mankind dependent on pen and paper, or brick and mortar. With almost everything in the world going online, from high-tech products to groceries, so has the search for jobs. The latest in the list of social media applications is job hunting. It offers immense networking opportunities, allowing one to be in touch with prospective employers at the click of a mouse.
With plenty of content flowing on these websites every single minute, what are some of the opportunities and impediments associated with it? Can a virtual medium ever lead to a perfect employer-employee match? "Social media essentially is a platform for individuals to create their own network of people whom they know, like their family, friends and peers and people whom they don't know but share some common interest or passion with. All this exposes one to more and more information, support updates and even job leads. Social media can definitely be used to get a job but getting the right job is essentially dependent on your own network," says Ritesh Raj Gupta, Vice President – Technology, AaramShop. So while it does increase your options and updates you about the opportunities out there, social media in itself is not enough to strike the right match. The right approach can make all the difference.
"Job seekers should first identify the right companies where they can best leverage their professional talent and which are in line with the job seeker's career aspirations. Job seekers should do some research on the social media presence of those companies, connect with the employees of those organisations and familiarise themselves with their social profiles. The profile of a job seeker should clearly communicate the individual's personal competencies, interests and professional learning. Job seekers should keep their status updated and stay actively connected with their network. While using social media as a job search tool, job seekers should refrain from participating in controversial discussions," says Garg. Discussing other preconditions and impediments, Ramanath Gurjala, Vice-President, HR, Lapp India Pvt Ltd quips, "Social media can be used as a valuable tool if the candidate has the opportunity or is able to connect to the right person. It is important for the candidate to differentiate himself in the marketplace and establish his online presence in a definitive way. In other words, he/ she needs to establish an online brand presence to facilitate an organised search. Social media also faces certain drawbacks. The fact that a candidate is up for grabs can expose himself in the current company he or she is working for. A candidate's online presence can unfortunately be tracked. Sometimes the candidate's opinions may reflect poorly on the company." Ritesh Raj Gupta lists some of the do's and don'ts of social media:
Do's
- Have a decent and consistent online presence
- Have a large and relevant network
- Make a list of few companies you are interested in and follow them on social networks
- Gather more information on the developments in these companies
- Be searchable on search engines
- Add genuine references, credentials and awards to your profile
- Create and upload a video resume highlighting your achievements
Don'ts
- Never contradict your profile on different networks
- Never fake your profile or references
- Try and be friends with everyone in the companies you wish to join unless you genuinely know them
- Be careful of what you say on social media
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