Social Media Articles published by Deakin University

http://www.deakin.edu.au/currentstudents/services/careers/mycoursemyca reer/buslaw/hr/social-media-hr.php Social media and its effect on recruitment Catriona McCallum, Recruitment Consultant at Dun & Bradstreet Describe your position: I am a Recruitment Consultant, responsible for recruitment across Australia and New Zealand, including graduate positions.

How did you get into the industry?

I completed a Bachelor of Arts (psychology) then completed a Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management. I had an interest in people, psychology and performance and in getting the best out of people. I knew that I wanted to work in the business world, so HR built on some of the things I learnt in psychology. I then got into HR through an administrative path. I’ve been working in HR for 8 - 9 years.

What is a typical day at the office?

A typical day consists of me advertising vacancies, screening resumes, phone interviews, booking face to face interviews, catching up with management to discuss their upcoming recruitment needs, dealing with all parts of the recruitment cycle. I also run a monthly staff induction, facilitating induction for new starters, and also conduct exit surveys for those who leave. Predominantly, my role is people focused.

Do you use Facebook and twitter for recruitment?

Facebook is not currently utilised at Dun & Bradstreet within Australia. I am aware of a number of organisations who use Facebook very successfully within the graduate recruitment space. Lots of University student societies have their own Facebook profiles and I think employers are happy to be featured to promote themselves and their brand.

Their events, job offers etc are then tailored toward that specific market.

We have also found that with LinkedIn, not many of our graduates actually have a profile.

Perhaps most people create one once they are in the workforce, rather than as a student.

Maybe University student societies could use it more to connect with employers and then broadcast that to their followers. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

I think Facebook is very personal. l like a clear line between ‘the professional’ (LinkedIn) and ‘the personal’ (Facebook).

So, is the resume dead?

I think it’s too early to say that LinkedIn will completely replace the resume. I have colleagues who use LinkedIn very successfully. It appears to work better for some roles than others, such as IT. I believe it is still important to have a resume. I think social media is just another channel at this stage. Only time will tell, but I don’t think it’s going to replace the resume.

Any advice for students creating their LinkedIn profile:  Ensure clear and concise communication,  Remember to be professional in every part of your profile and your communications online,  Have a suitable photo,  Take the opportunity to mention your studies and work experience.  Good to have recommendations by people within your network.

Any final interview tips to students looking for work?

Research and preparation - you are selling yourself. Put yourself in your interviewer’s shoes, why should they employ you over other people? Research the company and have good understanding of what and who they are. Have some thoughtful questions to ask at end of the interview. Perhaps practise with someone to be more confident and present better.

http://www.deakin.edu.au/currentstudents/services/careers/mycoursemyca reer/buslaw/hr/greg-savage.php Social media in the HR industry Greg Savage, the founder and CEO of Firebrand TalentSearch, held a seminar entitled 'New Kool versus Old Skool'. Below are the key points taken by Jessica Meisels on the use of social media in the recruitment industry:  Percentage of people who use social media for job searching in Australia: 24% of baby boomers, 24% of gen X and 23% of gen Y.  81% of companies now use social media to recruit.

So, how is recruitment to remain a strong industry with the introduction of social media for job searching?  Realise that everyone is a candidate, not just those who apply.  Network with previous applicants.  Actively source employers or employees who may not be looking.

Tools to set up the framework for your use of social media. Ask yourself 7 questions: 1. What are the objectives?

2. Who is the target audience?

3. How much time am I willing to invest?

4. What is the tone I will use?

5. What is the content, and how will I tailor it for my audience?

6. Is what I’m spruiking appropriate to sell?

7. Is this an opportunity to show my company’s expertise?

Differences you should have between your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn sites:  Facebook is casual, more informal, and can have more of a relaxed tone.  LinkedIn is a professional website for networking.  Twitter needs constant updating. Make sure that each tweet is relevant to your niche market and engaging.

And the similarities:  Use a professional photo in your profile.  Include key words in your biography.  Engage with your followers - answer questions if they ask, pose questions yourself.  Have links to all forms of social media on all your platforms so that all your professional work is inter-connected.  Ensure that your personal sites have no linkage to your professional ones.  Focus on pre-existing relationships, as well as forming new ones.  Appear knowledgeable in the field you are attempting to connect with.  Remember that it can take time, even up to a year, for things to really get off the ground.

http://www.deakin.edu.au/currentstudents/services/careers/find/fbooktwitter.php How to use social media in the workforce Social media is everywhere. We use it to keep up with our closest friends online, as well as the "friends" who we have met once. We keep up with events and status updates, but can social media assist us in getting a job?

LinkedIn The free site, launched in 2003, currently boasts over 100 million users worldwide, with 2 signing up every second of the day. It allows users to create an online job profile where you can list your name, profession, location, previous work experience, career goals and education. Please note that if you have a LinkedIn profile, it is your online professional brand. Make sure you have all sections filled in, because half a profile, is worse than no profile!

You can then ‘search’ for people you know, such as work colleagues or former employers, and seek ‘recommendations’ to add to your profile. This is your online ‘network’ where you can interact with not only the people you know, but add new contacts that may be useful for professional networking.

LinkedIn groups are a great feature as they allow you to quickly discover the most popular discussions in your professional groups, and to connect with people in your industry. Search for keywords about your industry to find groups all around the world.

Twitter Twitter has over 200 million users and is an online community where users are able to both post and read ‘tweets’ in the ‘twitterverse’.

When setting up your Twitter profile, think about why you are getting involved in this online community. If it is to help with your job searching, create a profile that is professional and that has your career goals and/or education included.

Searching for #Tweetmyjobs opens users up to a variety of tweeters that they can follow. Turning on mobile alerts means users can find out about potential listings the minute they are posted. Below are a few potential accounts to follow:  @AustraliaITjobs  @Careerjet_au  @MelJobs  @PRJobsAustralia Searches for employers can also be done by company, place, field, job type, or general. Searching for key words like ‘law jobs Melbourne’ can be a start to gravitating toward tweets in your chosen area.

Follow the Careers and Employment team on Twitter - @Deakin_Careers.

Facebook Facebook has over 750 million users, and is a social interactive website where users create a personalised profile and can then add friends, other users, share comments, private messages, photographs and videos, live online conversations, events and pages they ‘like’ or are interested in.

Feedback we have had from Deakin students is that they use Facebook for personal use, rather than for job searching or professional use. This is fine, but always remember that the comments you make and photos you are in are seen by at least all your friends, and the general public if you haven't made your profile 'private'.

The easiest way to use Facebook for job searching is to use your status updates. Let your network know that you are looking for work "Hey everyone, I’m looking for a job working with animals, any ideas?". You just never know who that second cousin of yours is friends with - maybe someone from the zoo!

Organisations are using Facebook more and more to connect with the public. Search for organisations and either become 'friends' or 'like' the group / profile so that you can receive updates about employment opportunities. The groups function is another great way to connect with like-mided people. By becoming part of a group, such as ‘Melbourne Film Club,’ users are made aware of new film competitions, lectures, job and networking opportunities, as they can engage with other users and contact the operator of the page directly.