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In recent years, the communication landscape has changed drastically. Information and opportunities from around the world are now accessible from almost any household or dorm room, and this fact has completely transformed the international job search process. Now, in a post-COVID world, your online presence is more powerful than ever.
Social Media for Career Success outlines the importance of developing a strong online presence before your hunt for opportunities even begins, and the section will also give you detailed advice about how and where and how to get involved in the ever-evolving world of social media.
(RELATED SECTION: You will also find relevant information about job hunting in The International Job Search.)
Top Tips
- Your online presence matters: Think social media and your online presence are just about sharing and communicating with friends? Think again! Your online presence plays a key role in the hiring and selection processes for almost all domestic and international opportunities. Start thinking about how your professional and personal selves balance online, and you’ll be putting yourself ahead of the pack.
- Social media networks are not all created equal: Each social media network has particular characteristics that you can use to increase networking potential and conduct smart self-promotion. Get to know the benefits of each. Twitter, for instance, can be a great platform for starting dynamic and direct conversations with industry leaders and potential mentors. Get to know the benefits of each network and participate accordingly.
- Profiles and posting: Not only is it important to have strong, consistent online profiles across multiple platforms, it’s also important to be actively engaged online. Blog, participate in forum discussions and find other creative ways to get involved in your field of interest online. This is great exercise and proves to potential future employers that you have a long-standing active interest in your industry.
- Maintenance is key: Have you started a blog? Developed a strong professional network online? Started or participated in online web series or forums? It’s tempting to become extremely active when you first join the world of likes, shares, posts and connections, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Having a few focused, consistent online activities is better than becoming heavily involved for short periods of time.
- Short and sweet is the name of the game: When potential employers review your online profiles, the “scanability” of your personal and work histories is important. Unlike in previous decades, when fleshed-out job descriptions and personal statements were popular, now it’s about conveying key information with short, scanable bursts of text. It’s time to improve your editing skills!
- Don’t go overboard! Being active online is a crucial part of the job search, but don’t forget to develop and maintain your real-world networks. Participate offline and online in equal measure. This is a good rule to keep in mind in everyday life, as well as during your international job search! Good luck!
Further Reading
The online world is all about immediate access and fast action, but we recommend you take your time and think about your online presence before diving head-first into your online job search and networking.
These articles will give you a great start:
