Using Social Media for Your Job Search

By: Jim Angel Sr. Relationship Manager SpringBoard Healthcare [1]

I have a fascination with computers and technology. My wife loves to say my iPad is my new wife. I am always seeking out new gadgets, apps, and cool features for my computers and television sets. As a recruiter / relationship manager for Springboard Healthcare Staffing and Search, my job involves social media and, luckily, it is everywhere these days, whether you are on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google + or even Pinterest.

Everyone knows that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are huge and only growing daily. Many job seekers believe they need fellow industry professionals in their social networks to help them find a job, but you should also consider contacting recruiters / relationship managers. Approximately 1 in every 8 people has a Facebook account and there are 850 million active daily users. Most people tend to keep their work and personal profiles separate by using LinkedIn for business and Facebook for personal material, but connecting with recruiters on Facebook can help with relationships. I am friends with many Springboard travel nurses and technologists on Facebook and I can learn what they like to do for fun, places they prefer to vacation at and what city they visit their families in. You can also “Like” a company’s page on Facebook and get to know the staff there as well as see its current job listings. You can see jobs for SpringBoard at www.facebook.com/springboardstaffing [2]. According to an article by Joe Light of The Wall Street Journal, “While LinkedIn contains a more comprehensive resume database, candidates tend to value referrals from their connections on Facebook more.”

LinkedIn started in 2003 as a professional business network and as of August 2012, there are more than 175 million members, with two more joining every second. You should also have a profile listed on LinkedIn so that you can have an updated resume available at all times. You never know when you may need it to respond to about opportunities you learn about in your area, as well as locations you may be interested in working or traveling.
There are over 465 million Twitter accounts, with more than 175 million tweets being sent daily. Most companies will tweet their job postings, so be sure to follow them and be the first to know about new positions. You can follow SpringBoard at @springboardjob.

There is a ton to learn using technology and social media, and to always keep up with the newest things. It is a lot different from things when I grew up. Back then, we had a television that had only three channels, rabbit ears and no remote to change channels. Technology and social media is a good thing — a very good thing!

If you want to connect with me online, I can be found on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimangel2 [3] or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jimangel2 [4]

Jim Angel - Sr. Relationship Manager - SpringBoard Healthcare - 866.465.6286 - jim.angel@springboardstaffing.com [5]