Getting yourself out there is difficult. You want to find a career that develops and challenges you and will make business leaders sit up and take notice – you want them to believe that they’d be much better off having you on their team. Now there are several tried and tested methods you could be using to get your name out there, but one method that every professional should be falling back on is social media. If Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin have the familiarity of strangers, then that needs to change. Luckily, this small guide will give you a solid starting point when using social media to boost your career.

Build a professional profile

Create a professional profile for yourself across the previously mentioned social media networks. Of course, maintain a heavy emphasis on the ‘professional’ aspect of the profile. Your Facebook profile, for example, should correlate to the work you carry out. Keep it free from poor grammar or foul language. You’re not going to earn yourself any brownie points with politically-slanted rants or cat videos.

Use social media as a content portfolio

A good social media strategy should entail showcasing your personality and previous success. This will become evident in the content you share. They could be articles that tie into your work-based philosophy, a development you agree with, or even some of your own content demonstrating your expertise. But try to maintain a certain level of openness. You don’t want to post anything that risks isolating you from prospective professionals.

Include social media in your job search

Social media also offers job sections that you can read through to find a job suited to you. Linkedin has an in-depth job board, and a chance to connect with like-minded professionals, thus giving you an idea of the steps required to get where you need to. But to have the best possible success, you need to be selective in your search. Using Facebook Jobs as a prime example, there are two places you can find jobs, on a company page and on a separate page where jobs are divided by location, industry and skill. You can also sign up for job notifications that are relevant to you.

Linkedin

If you’re trying to break into the professional world, then no aspiring professional should be without a Linkedin profile. You’ll be able to build on all of your existing skills and contacts (getting the latter to endorse you for the former). And you will have a means of showcasing all of your previous work online for professionals to sample.

Prospective employers and their social platforms

Many employers will use social media as part of their marketing strategy; to push their content and emphasise their company brand. Look at some prospective employers online and follow their pages, what kind of things do they promote? What attitude comes across in their posts? Is the content written or visual? This will give you a good idea as to how to maximise your appeal.

Social media is a tool you cannot do without. And many people have found prosperous careers by navigating the likes of Facebook and Twitter. And with these tips, you could be one of them.