Using Instagram in Your Job Search

Using Instagram in Your Job SearchUsing Instagram in Your Job SearchInstagram can do more than just keep you updated on your friends babies, dogs, and vacations. Used the right way, the app can also help you find your next job. Not only is Instagram a good way to establish your personal brand, but it also demonstrates a marketable skill (social media) and enhances your overall digital savvy. It might even help you connect with future employers and differentiate yourself from the competition during the job interview process. 5 Steps to Using Instagram in Your Job Search 1.Consider Creating a New Account If your Instagram account is full of selfies or photos from a wild weekend, then you should definitely consider creating a new account for a fresh social media start, if you want to use Instagram for job searching. 2. Establish Your Personal Brand Identify how you want to market yourself and brainstorm how you might be able to use Instagram to help you job search. Obviously , this will be easier for some fields than for others. For example, for tattoo artists, Instagram is an extremely effective fasson of advertising services and reaching out to other studios. For a financial analyst, however, Instagram wont be too helpful. Its up to you to figure out how you can include Instagram in your job search. Be creative. With a little brainstorming, you might be able to come up with some innovative ways to utilize your account and enhance your job search portfolio. For example, if youre a book publicist, you might create an account posting pictures of different cover art, book signings, literary events, or even shots of people reading the product in various locations. Once you figure out a focus point, you can use Instagram to gain a competitive edge with your personal brand. 3.Be APPropriate Whether youre using Instagram or any other mobile app as a pillar of your job search or simply maintaining a personal account, its important to be mindful of what you post. Keep the acronym APP in mind when youre job searching via social media A is for Appropriate Unless your account is totally private, make koranvers everything you post is workplace-appropriate. Dont post anything that would embarrass you in an interview or would embarrass anybody else.P is for Professional While a photo shoot of your cats wouldnt necessarily be inappropriate, its not necessarily professional, either. That said, you can still have fun with your Instagram. Just make sure everything you post is relevant to your personal brand if youre starting an account specifically to enhance your job search. P is for Public/Private Be mindful of your privacy settings. ?Your Instagram should be public if you have created an account for your job search and you want to network with other like-minded professionals or connect with companies. You can also keep your Instagram public if youre confident that you can filter out anything that might paint you in a bad light. If you have a personal Instagram account, its okay to keep it public, and in fact, this can actually help your job search as employers like to see well-rounded, active, and engaged employees. But, if you post photos you wouldnt want your boss to see (or if anyone tags you in Instagram in these photos, using the sign) then you should adjust your privacy settings in case a potential employer tries to search you before or after an interview. 4.Use Hashtags You can use hashtags so that your photos show up in searches. Heres a hypothetical example of how hashtags can be used in a job search setting Mitchell Harrison is an up-and-coming cook who works at a relatively high-end Boston restaurant called Ocean Landing. Mitch is working on branding himself as an upscale, fine-dining chef, and has decided to enhance this mission by using Instagram. So, Mitch created a new Instagram account, Chef_Mitchell_Harrison. Once or twice a day, he posts an Instagram photo of an especially appealing or well-prese nted meal he has created. Mitchs hashtags would look something like this oceanlanding boston chefmitchharrison Mitch might use some other hashtags specific to his subject area in this case, food. For example, he might add instafood, instafoodie, chefsofinstagram. You can use Instagram to search popular tags in your own field. However, posting a photo with too many hashtags is an Instagram faux pas, so limit your use of them so as not to become annoying to other users. 5.Follow Companies and Influencers Stay updated with your dream employers and industry heroes by following them on Instagram. Youll get an inside track on emerging trends in your field, as well as up-to-the-minute information on what prospective employers are doing. Some companies will even use Instagram when hiring, to get the word out about open jobs. Look for the hashtags hiring, nowhiring, werehiring, etc., and get a leg up on the competition. Then, use your Insta info to demonstrate your passion for the compa ny during the interview process. Youll know, for example, about their recent team-building and charity events, as well as emerging product lines because you saw it all on Instagram. Remember hiring managers want candidates who care about the company and want this job, not just any job. If you can show that youre passionate about the organization, youll have an advantage during the hiring process.