How to Stand Out in Your Job Search with Social Media

As a job seeker, you are most likely already following the standard advice: clean up your Facebook posts, rework your resume, and attend networking opportunities. However, even if you are not looking for social media as a career, it is beneficial to your job search.

 

  1. LinkedIn: Job Site and Posting Platform

Unlike other job boards like Indeed and Monster, LinkedIn is a social media platform for job hunting, networking, and thought leaders.

It is also a great place to post an article about your experiences in a field and any advice for those just starting out. Write an article on new trends in your industry, experiences that you’ve used to do a better job, or even on what could be next for your field. Employers want engaged employees, and creating thoughtful, engaging content is a great way to showcase this skill.

 

  1. Twitter: Create New Conversations among Thought Leaders

Twitter, unlike LinkedIn, provides a space to reply quickly to thought leaders in your industry, as well as making lists of thought leaders and potential companies of interest. Whether sharing an interesting article, responding to comments about a new trend in your field, or simply showcasing your own work, Twitter provides real-time engagement.

 

  1. Facebook: Groups for Networking

Facebook is another great place for networking. Many networking and professional organizations have groups on Facebook, which is a great opportunity for making connections. Just be sure to keep it professional, and you have a great way to make industry contacts.

 

  1. Instagram

Are you a graphic designer, visual artist, or advertising professional? Instagram, of course, may be a platform you are already using, but it is also a great way to showcase your current portfolio of designs and ads created for clients or even past employers.

 

Even if social media is not a required skill for your next career move, it is a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry and connect with potential employers, as long as you keep it professional.

 

-N.G.

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5 Easy Ways to Make Employees Happy and Increase Engagement

It’s no secret that the most successful businesses have engaged employees. Engaged employees are generally more satisfied and overall happier with their jobs. A question often posed is, “How do I make my employees happier at work?” Just asking the question is the first step to a more engaged workforce.

1. Communication

How often do you hear employees say they did not know about something or complain they were not informed? It’s a fairly simple, yet often overlooked piece to the engagement puzzle. Employees want to know what is going on. If you feel like you have a good communication plan but still hear these complaints, maybe it’s the method or frequency of the delivery. Some organizations benefit from a newsletter or an email that discusses the happenings of the week. If you always email company information, setting up quarterly meetings may be beneficial. Make sure leadership is passing along crucial information to their staff.

2. Direct Supervisor

There is a lot of research that suggests that happiness and engagement in the workplace is connected to an employee’s direct supervisor. Develop strong leaders that are consistent with their staff and care about them. Leadership expectations should be clear. Much of a manager or supervisor’s work frustrations are often passed along to the staff. Keep managers in the loop about the business and give them key information they should take back to their staff.

3. Recognition

Feeling validated and acknowledged is important to life at work. There are many ideas out there to make your employees feel recognized for a job well done. A handwritten thank you from the supervisor may be appropriate in some situations. Public recognition through a meeting or company communication allows others to recognize their team mate if appropriate. Think through recognition from the employee’s perspective. How would they feel most appreciated? The biggest impact on long term engagement is how an employee feels recognized for their efforts day to day.

4. Employee Development

Employees want to grow and learn for their current position and beyond. They need these opportunities to grow within the organization. Employee development could be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. Each employee could have an employee development plan or a budget could be set aside for each department or individual. If the funds don’t currently exist for these opportunities, look for experts to conduct training in house. Speak with your vendors to see if they are doing any developmental opportunities for their staff or customers. Finally, online training opportunities can be a cost effective way to get the same information to a large number of employees.

5. Compensation, Rewards and Benefits

Employees getting paid significantly different for the same job will find out. Discover the gaps and develop a plan to address them. Pay employees fairly for the work they are doing. Set aside money from the budget to financially reward high performers and to motivate employees. Looking beyond traditional health benefits can be a key in employee engagement. Perhaps you can work out a discount for employees through one of your vendors. Or you can talk to some local gyms to offer your employees discounts by doing onsite advertising. The options are endless and don’t need to be expensive.

The time invested in employee happiness and engagement can result in a great working environment for your employees and boost your business. Get creative and your employees will appreciate it.

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Meet Your New Boss

You have the perfect job. Perfect co-workers. The perfect boss. Then, one day, everything changes. Your supervisor is leaving the company and you will need to adjust to a new one. Getting a new manager at work has its challenges, but it does have great opportunities for you too.

First Steps

Get to know your new manager. What are the expectations and communication style? Don’t wait for a meeting planner to get to know your new boss. Proactively schedule time with him or her to go over some of your questions.

Good questions to ask during this meeting include:

  • How will you measure my success?
  • What methods of communication would you appreciate from me?
  • What are your goals for the department?

Accept Changes

Understand there may be more changes coming ahead. A department restructure or new job duties may accompany a new boss. It’s easy to bemoan these changes, but that negativity will get you nowhere. Instead, ask questions and try to understand things from their perspective.

Starting Fresh  

This truly can be the opportunity your career needs. Is there something new you want to try or do you want to reposition yourself within the organization? This may be your chance. Establish yourself as a team player and express your career goals. Demonstrate flexibility in working on various projects.

 

The best thing smart employees do in this situation is to let go of the past. Keep moving forward in your own career. The only way to do that is to embrace change and be open to new opportunities.

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