Twitter Into Employment

Social networking tools are now being used in innovative ways by the New York State Department of Labour to help address the increasing unemployment rate. Online networks such as Facebook and Twitter have been identified as ideal tools to get job news, tips, advice and messages out to the people of New York City. It is likely – given the size and strength of these online communities – that other government bodies around the world, including Australia, will look to implement similar campaigns. Now is a great time for jobseekers to consider strengthening their web presence and online image as a potential tool to help them become more accessible to recruiters and employers.

TWEET YOUR WAY TO A JOB

Facebook and Twitter, frequently used to send photos, conversation and friendship, are now “tools” of the New York State Department of Labour to reach unemployed New Yorkers find suitable jobs, as well as address the soaring unemployment rate of the city.

Patricia Smith, state labour commissioner, said the launch of a campaign to use social networking last month aims to reach out to unemployed workers and hear what has worked for them in their job searches.

“By tapping into these social-networking tools, we can potentially reach and help an even larger portion of our state’s unemployed population—immediately. And with a running dialogue between government and the people it serves, there is real potential to effect lasting, substantive change,’” Smith said.

In its September 2009 employment report, the State Department of Labour said the unemployment rate edged up to 9.8 percent from 9.7 percent in August, and the US economy shed 263,000 jobs in September. New York state’s unemployment rate on the other hand climbed from 8.6 percent in July to 9.0 percent in August 2009, its highest level since April 1983.

Statistics indicate the largest job losses were in construction, manufacturing, retail trade, publishing and government.

Smith said the Labour Department will be using Facebook, Twitter and soon YouTube to get information to the state’s unemployed. The labour commissioner said the department’s web site usually gets around 3 million hits a month while social-networking sites like Facebook get 88 million and Twitter 44.5 million.

The social networking includes up-to-the-minute employment content and will also include announcements about events like job fairs and a place for job seekers to comment on their experiences.

Online Social Network – Career Possibilities

Online Social Networks are, in every sense of the word, the new
“craze” of the Internet.  It doesn’t matter who you are or what
kind of life style you lead, there’s a social network out there for
you. Social networks come in all shapes and sizes:

FaceBook:

Facebook.com is an online social network that really targets anyone and everyone. It
allows users to sign up for free, create a profile with details like
birthday, address, photo, interests and much more. The only way you can
view someone’s profile is if you make them a “friend” or if they allow
their profile to be viewed by anyone.

Twitter:

Twitter is the ultimate gossip catalyst! It’s a very simply social network
designed to be used on the run through their mobile application or from
the website, www.twitter.com . Members can update their “status” as
often as they like and anyone who “follows” them will see these
updates. It’s a great way to get a short message to a lot of people in
a short period of time. It use is spanning to new horizons every day,
just look at this blog by Con Georgiou that really covers some of the latest trends of Twitter.

Linked In:

Linkedin.com is an online social network for professionals.  It’s a place where you
can create a comprehensive profile for yourself based around your
interests and your working history. People can see where you worked,
how long your worked for and any certifications you might have. It’s a
great place to meet people in your own industry. It’s also a great
place for employers to seek out employees.

For a full list of social networking sites and a few details about them visit the wiki page for online social networks.

With so many online social networks to choose from the questions must be asked:

• Why should I sign up?

Social networking is one of the easiest ways to get
yourself an “online presence”. People will be able to find you online,
see what your interests are, and even build a bit of a profile of who
you are. This can all be very valuable information for a potential
employer. It’s also a great way to stay in touch with distant friends,
and even find new ones.

• Which One Should I sign up to?

The answer to this is going to be based mainly around
what you want to get out of your online experience. If you’re looking
to interact and keep in touch with friends then surely Facebook is the
first option. If you’re looking to keep everyone updated about what you
are doing, or you want to know what everyone else is doing then Twitter
is your weapon of choice.  However, if it’s professional networking
that you are looking for then LinkedIn is the one for you. The options
are endless.

• How is going to work for me?

This is quite an interesting question as it really has
to be considered in context. In this case we are talking about getting
your name and skill set known to potential employers or employees.
There have been many examples of recruiters and employers using online
social networking to find applicants based on their profiles details.
In the UK a company called “Rent A Recruiter” is doing exactly that, Aussie Employment is is also utilising online social networking to advertise jobs to a larger audience online.

As a job seeker you should have as much information about your
skills, certifications and work history as possible to make your
“profile” more attractive to potential employers. Let’s face it, your
profile is basically your resume when it comes to social networks. So
make yourself as appealing as possible.

Online Social Networks are still in their infancy and the potential
the show is quite exciting. Make sure you get yourself online now and
spruce up that profile to make sure another job opportunity doesn’t
pass you by. In the mean time, check out this little skit about
facebook, one of the bigger online social networks.