As a current student I realize sooner than later I will be faced with having to compete with millions of other grads for entry level positions in the working world, and I do understand how important it is to try and stand out, that is why I have been exploring my options with new media and how I can promote myself using it.
- First off start networking yourself online using social networking sites like Twitter, Facebookand LinkedIn. Each one has something different to offer but all share a simple purpose to NETWORK. Using social networking sites allow you to put yourself out there in front of the others, you can gain expert advice in your field of study or help someone else and by doing so gain connections. You get an opportunity to meet a large group of professionals that all share your same career aspirations that are willing to reach out and connect with you…how awesome is that
- Next put yourself online by investing some time to make an online resume. Great sites to build your resume and profiles include Emurse,VisualCV, Carbonmade and GigTide. There are others out there but these are the ones I have found fairly easy to navigate. Carbonmade is more for putting together a portfolio of work and the look of the finished product looks very impressive.
By making an online resume and portfolio you make it that much easier for anyone – including potential employers – to view what you have to offer. None the less it gives you an edge showing your future employer you are fully capable of using new technology methods to market yourself and potentially benefiting their business. By having your resume online it can also make it much easier for you to apply to positions by just sending the link, plus some companies give you the option of sending a website link instead of uploading a resume. You can look at my online resume at emurse to get an idea of what one looks like. I love the fact that my emurse website allows me to post writing samples along with examples of my work.
Think of the possibilities…Having your resume online could help you land a job maybe you weren’t necessarily looking for, maybe a company came across your resume and profile and liked what they saw…poof…new job. Well I like to dream I could be handed a job, who doesn’t?
Blogging about what you are passionate about can also grab a future employer’s attention. Blogging shows people a little bit more about who you are – interests, passions, personality etc. – Depending on what field you go into blogging may be an extremely important factor when coming to landing a position or it may not be relevant, but for someone like myself who is going into communications I feel that more and more employers are looking for people who do have their own blogs and most applications are now asking for your blog site or website address.
I also feel that blogging can allow you to show off your creativeness and depending on how much effort you put into it can set you apart from the rest of the job candidates.
Flickr, YouTube and other online sites can also get you actively involved with future employers.
There are many ways to network yourself and using new media is an excellent way to do it. It helps you reach those people you wouldn’t necessarily be able to. In the competitive world of job hunting, especially for entry level individuals, it is extremely important to remember to network network NETWORK!
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