Social media sites such as Linkedin are proving to be a great source for tech savvy job seekers to be found for future employment.
With the slow incline of Michigan’s economy, many former jobless workers are buffing up their resume and dragging out their old suits for a chance to find employment. With the advent of social media though, the process is much different. Ferris students are storming the internet to find postings for jobs not only in the surrounding areas, but also all over the world.
Dani Saur, a senior in elementary education, had the chance to work in a different country last year.
“This previous summer I had the opportunity to travel across the world to work in Croatia. I found this job opportunity through a Google search, and would have never found this job any other way. This experience was a very rewarding experience, and gave me a summer that I will never forget,” said Saur.
Applying online can be found on a variety of different sites including a company’s webpage, monstor.com, job.careerbuilder.com, and even on social networking sites such as LinkedIn.
According to their website, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 90 million members in over 200 countries and territories. Also, more than one million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages, which allow students to search specific companies.
Ferris marketing and sales professor Chet Trybus uses LinkedIn as a walking resume that he updates constantly to build his personal image.
“I use it every day to find new connections, communicate with different industry professionals and to build my personal brand. I have built a solid network across my social media platform and I keep in contact with them because you never know when you might need their help,” said Trybus.
With the multitude of different online resources, it is becoming easier to find jobs and search for specific jobs within the area. Different keyword searches and posting online resumes allow for not only Ferris students to look for jobs, but different companies to actively search for them.
Public relations senior Heather Schonmeier understands that it is up to her to find jobs, but using sites such as LinkedIn, allows her to meet and network with professionals.
“LinkedIn helps my job search by putting me in contact with people I never knew were in my field, and by seeing who my connections are connected with, and having them introduce me,” said Schonmeier.
With so many people catching on to the social media craze, there are a lot more people that students have to compete against for jobs. As of December 2010, Michigan’s unemployment was at 10.6 percent. With that many people out of a job, standing out from the crowd is a must.
According to LinkedIn’s website, a new member on average joins every second, or one million new members every 12 days. Students need to continually update their web presence on LinkedIn and make sure to treat it as a traditional resume.
Schonmeier stresses that she updates her profile every time something new needs to be added and checks it daily. Constant updates and continual searches for different jobs could land her a dream job after college, or at least a connection into a job she has always wanted.
Hilary Aebli, a senior in new media printing and publishing, explains that while LinkedIn may be a great tool, the key is to use the website effectively to increase the chances of getting a job.
“With LinkedIn, people can’t just assume that putting their resume out online is going to get them a job, they need to stay in contact with employees and employers and network with new companies because you will never know who will find you,” said Alibi. n