The social web has greatly changed the search for the job seeker as well as the organization that is doing the recruiting. The interview starts long before the hiring manager meets the candidates on the day of the ‘interview’.
Over the past few weeks we have been in the process of hiring community managers. Here are some tips for those seeking this type of role.
Resume
- Your experience needs to be relevant to the position (it needs to be obvious)
- Include metrics for the impact that you had in previous positions
For example:
- Increased sales by X %
- Increased the community by X %
- Increased participation in the community by X %
Tip: Do not represent consulting as if you were an employee
Your Social Presence
- Google your name: What online presence do you have?
- LinkedIn – Some key aspects:
Do you have a complete profile that is public?
Do you have a number of references from previous employers?
Have you written references for others?
- Twitter presence – quality of tweets and a balance of followers to following
Preparation for the Interview
Research the company that you’re interviewing with. What talking points can you take with to your interview?
Research the person that you will be interviewing with. Do they have a personal blog or are on Twitter? That insight provides great conversation starters.
If your LinkedIn profile set to show your activity, then the interviewer will see that you’ve viewed their profile.
All of the above interactions happen before the interview ever happens. They are all items that can be used to qualify candidates. If you’re applying for a social media role, take some time to ensure that your application stands out from the crowd.
If you’ve recently hired for a social media position, what additional tips would you give?
The top 2 things I do as soon as I get an application for a social media position are:
1. Google your name and your name + Facebook/Twitter
2. Try to find a writing sample. No matter what the position is, being able to write well is a huge part of the job
Great post – I think these tips really reflect how the interview process has changed!
Very well written article, with some good points.
I would add this:
Get stats ready, but don’t include them in the presentation unless they ask.
Most likely, the person that is looking to hire you already knows that social media is powerful, and you don’t need to spend 5 minutes talking about how Facebook directs more traffic than Google, or the average income of a user on LinkedIn etc.
Save it for when they specifically say, “well, I don’t see why I need to be on x website.”
Otherwise, business owners mostly understand how powerful these platforms can be.
Hi Connie. Good stuff. I especially like your clever LinkedIn tip.
Some social media management roles require an eye for good content. So I like to ask about what blogs and websites an applicant follows – to get a feel for what they’re naturally drawn to and exposed to on a daily basis. Also to see if they’re tuned in to relevant industry news.