AXESS Acquisition of Key Competences for Economic and Social Sustainability

Job opportunities on Social Media


SI_3_EN  

 Title
Job opportunities on Social Media

 Keywords
Curriculum Vitae, Social Media, Social Network, Job-hunting, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook

 Author
IHF

 Languages
English

 Description
The module aims to develop the ability to write proactive descriptionsin CV and seek opportunities in the labour market. Furthermore, it shows key aspects of digital job-hunting: immediacy of communication, identifying job resources, profiling skills and competences.

 Results
• Learn how to write an effective Curriculum Vitae • Know the difference between Social media and Social Network • Know the main social networks and be able to create an account • Develop a basic understanding of public features of Social Media • Learn how to write an effective Curriculum Vitae
• Know the difference between Social media and Social Network
• Know the main social networks and be able to create an account
• Develop a basic understanding of public features of Social Media


 Contents in bullet points
Module name:Job opportunities on Social Media
Unit 1: How to write an effective Curriculum Vitae
• Curriculum Vitae: what is it?
• Writing your CV: hints and tips
Unit 2: Social Media for job-hunting
• What is a Social Media?
• Social Networks and Social Medias
• Main Social Medias
• Creating a Facebook account
• Creating a LinkedIn profile
• Main recommendation for Social Media use



 Contents

 

Job opportunities on Social Media



Unit 1:How to write an effective Curriculum Vitae Unit 1:How to write an effective Curriculum Vitae




   

CURRICULUM VITAE: WHAT IS IT?  CURRICULUM VITAE: WHAT IS IT?



Curriculum Vitae (CV) derives from the Latin ‘currere’, which means a course or career, and ‘vitae’ means life; so ‘Curriculum Vitae’ means ‘course of life’

A CV is your own personal ‘brochure’ that gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself and to highlight your strengths to find a new job

In doing this, you should be concise, confident, and accurate and you should tell the truth avoiding grammatical errors


  

WRITING YOUR CV: HINTS AND TIPS  WRITING YOUR CV: HINTS AND TIPS



Furthermore, you should appear positive, keep your details brief and make sure that the information you are giving are relevant for the specific position you are applying for

Be truthful and honest, because lies will be very quickly unmasked during the potential interview

Your CV must look professional: it should be one or two pages in length with visual impact and should be easy to read and understandable

It is important to distribute your information in clear and logical sections:

ØPersonal Details

Insert your name, address, email address (should be appropriate and professional), telephone, mobile number and nationality

ØEducation & Qualifications

Start with the most recent education and proceed by specifying your university degree and grade, college with the educational establishment where you studied

Add all the other qualifications you acquired (even in non-formal settings)

ØWork Experience

Recruiters are interested in reading about your relevant experience

Start with the most recent and relevant and include the name of the company, location, date of employment as well as a brief description of your role

Focus on your main duties rather than describing your daily tasks and try to inform employers about the specific skills you have acquired

ØInterests & Achievements

This section is essential not only to show to the employer what type of person you are, but also to highlight skills and interests that are relevant for the position in order to demonstrate that you are the right person for that job

ØAdditional Information

Include any other information that may help to promote you for that job position. You can write this information in a separate section or incorporate it elsewhere. Items could include:

•Achievements such as scholarships, sponsorship or awards,   responsibilities or projects
• Languages: indicate level of proficiency
• Driving licence
ØAddress gaps in your CV

If you have not been employed for more than three months then say how you have been using that time

Don’t be shy in showing failures, what it really matters is to highlight the lesson learnt and the way such bad experiences improved your attitudes and capacities

Be positive, do not forget to say what you have learnt in your past experiences


  

Quick tips for you to think about when writing your Curriculum Vitae  Quick tips for you to think about when writing your Curriculum Vitae



•Email your CV to your email account so that you can access it from wherever you are
•Research the company you are applying for, tailoring your CV to this company.
•Matching your skills and experiences with their brand values
•Read the job description. Make sure you know what you are applying for and refer back to the job description in your CV
•Use similar adjectives to the job description. Do not just copy them from the job description
•pepper your CV with some technical terminology – but not too much – so that the employer knows that you understand the industry
•If you aren’t applying for a specific role, review similar job descriptions online and tailor your CV to these
•Use an email account that has a more professional tone to it
The goal of the CV is to get you an interview, not to get a job. Make it enticing, concise, interesting. Make the employer want to find out more about you


Unit 2: Social Media for job-hunting Unit 2: Social Media for job-hunting




   

WHAT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA?  WHAT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA?



A Social media is the set of online communications channels (such as websites for social networking and micro-blogging) where users can create and share:

• Information
• Ideas
• Personal messages
• Other content (i.e. pictures, videos, links to websites and news, etc.)

Social Medias bring people with a common interest together through the use of the Internet


  

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SOCIAL MEDIAS  SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SOCIAL MEDIAS



Social media is the instrument that allows communication with other people (audience)

Social network refers to the relationships among a group of people

Social network is a web platform where users can access by signing up, which means that users are required to build a personal profile and provide personal information

Social networks allow people to handle a list of contacts, publish and share information, ideas and other content.  Much easier, we could define them like a virtual place where users can chat, share and exchange

Thanks to social media, users have a chance to build a network composed by friends, relatives, business acquaintances or colleagues

Networking is a process that promote the exchange of information and ideas among individuals or groups with shared interest and it can fulfil a social or business purpose. Indeed, nowadays networking is one of the most effective methods to find a job


  

MAIN SOCIAL MEDIAS  MAIN SOCIAL MEDIAS



•LinkedIn
–Is the social media for the business community and it is mainly used for professional networking
–Employers post jobs offers, while job seekers post their CVs
–LinkedIn allows users to enter their work experiences and interests and it also allows users to update their skills
–It represents an excellent opportunity for job seekers to network with employers
•Twitter:
–Is a free social networking microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 280 characters. These messages are known as "tweets“
–People mainly use Twitter to share ideas on a wide range of topics (politics, economy,  fashion etc.) and to share articles and news
•Facebook:
–Is a popular free social media where users can create a personal profile, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues.
–It is mainly used to keep in contact with persons and to share news and ideas
 

Facebook includes public features such as:

ØMarketplace:  allows members to post, read and respond to classified ads
ØGroups: allows members who have common interests to find each other and interact
ØEvents: allows members to publicize an event, invite guests and track who plans to attend
ØPages:  allows members to create and promote a public page built around a specific topic, company, product or VIP

An increasing number of employers and job seekers is using social media to match jobs to job seekers

Employers want to know more about you, so they are increasingly using social networks to interact with potential candidates

This is the reason why social medias are useful to build your reputation, create a professional online presence, expand conversations, grow and manage networking contacts, and attract new career opportunities


  

CREATING A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT  CREATING A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT



First of all, google “Facebook” in the search bar or type www.facebook.com  in the internet address box

Next fill-in your information:

qName
qLast Name
qEmail address: if you don’t have one, you are required to create it
qNew password
qAdd your birth date (optional)
qSelect your gender

Then Click sign up

Facebook will send an email to the specified address, open it and follow the instructions to confirm your account

Once signed in in Facebook you will need to set up your account and privacy settings

Then, you can start to create your network by finding and connecting with friends

 

For further details, watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0SPj0Y_bgk or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cbDDg7rH0k 


  

CREATING A LINKEDIN PROFILE  CREATING A LINKEDIN PROFILE



Type www.linkedin.com in the browser address box.

 

Provide the following information:

ØFirst Name
ØLast Name
ØEmail address: if you don’t have one, you are required to create it
ØPassword

Click “Join us” and LinkedIn will send you an email to confirm your account

Before start using LinkedIn, you can add a photo of yourself and select channels to follow, that will determine the kind of information you see on your LinkedIn Home page

The most important thing to do is to edit your qualifications. You have to add your current and past employment as well as your education and you can include a brief description of your past jobs and qualifications

LinkedIn is a sort of online CV, keep it updated in order to let employers know your recent experiences and qualifications

Furthermore, it is possible to insert a summary in order to give people more information about you and you can add your specific skills

More information are available at: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-linkedin-3/set-up-a-new-linkedin-account

LinkedIn is the world’s largest and most useful social network for professionals doing business and networking with over 380 million members

Basic memberships in LinkedIn are free and for most job seekers, the free option is enough but if you need the paid functionality, you can always upgrade your account later

The success on LinkedIn comes down to a few factors:

ØOptimising your profile
ØUnderstanding the dynamic of the network
ØPositioning yourself
ØCreate an efficient lead generation system on LinkedIn: a marketing-related activity intended to publicise your availability by attracting and converting thirds and prospects into someone interested in your skills and competencies

To optimise your presence on LinkedIn you have to complete your profile, by highlight all your talents, background, experience, passions, interests and areas of expertise

Furthermore, if you complete your profile you will appear more competent among your network

In order to appear more competent and optimize your profile, you have to do some main steps:

ØUpload a professional image: be selective about the photos you use, choose the one that is more professional
ØCreate an attractive headline: headlines are crucial to making connections and grab opportunities with recruiters. You have to describe briefly yourself trying to be interesting to your network
ØList your current position and at least two past positions (if they exist)
ØComplete the “Summary” section: you have 2,000 characters available and the opportunity to show who you are as a professional and what makes you interesting. The “Who/What/Goals” structure is one of the most effective way to tell your story. You begin with who you are, what you have to offer and what goals you set for your career
ØComplete the “Skills” section of your profile

If you have fully completed your profile, you will have the chance to reach the “All-stars-status” and according to LinkedIn, you will be 40 times more likely to receive opportunities

You are “All Stars” if you:

ØAdd your current position plus two previous position
ØDescribe your different positions
ØAdd your skills and expertises
ØAdd your education
ØUpload a profile photo
ØMake at least 50 connections


  

MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USE  MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USE



Facebook is not a professional social media site but could be a vital tool in determining connections to local employers who are looking for employee

Most companies have a Facebook page and they may publish job offer on that page

On the contrary, with LinkedIn you can use the job search section to find job listings

Social network may help you find a new job and connect with people with common interests but if used in the wrong way, it can compromise the final goal

For those reasons it is very important to take into account what you should or should not do, when using social media to get a job.






This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site and its contents reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.