These five bloggers all have something important to say about the pros and cons of employers using Facebook: 

1. The Facebook Snatchers: Could Your Employer Hijack Your Account? by Andrew Moshniria, The Citizen Media Law Project
Moshniria posts about the city of Bozeman, Montana’s failed attempt to get all its employees’ social networking usernames and passwords. The city had to change its policy on internet privacy because overt spying on employees goes against Montana’s state constitution. But, Moshnira points out, the US Constitution does not provide for a right to privacy, so other employers may try imposing similar rules. 

2. What If a Prospective Employer Doesn’t Look at My Facebook Page? by Mike Dover, Creative Class
Dover takes an optimistic approach to the subject of employers on Facebook. Dover suggests that since we know people have lost opportunities because of inappropriate online behavior, why not use Facebook to help your career, instead of as a place to let it all hang out? Thoughtful posts and relevant link sharing add to your credibility and allow you to show people what you are like instead of trying to describe yourself on a cliche-riddled resume.
3. More Employers Use Social Networks to Check Out Applicants by Jenna Wortham, The New York Times
Jenna Wortham’s post advises us to accept the fact that employers are going to try to look at your Facebook page. Besides the obvious drinking references and provocative photos, you may be harming your career by posting seemingly harmless pictures of your beach vacation or a controversial Halloween costume. She suggests that it’s best to keep your privacy settings very tight.
4. Use Facebook Ads to Make Employers Hunt You Down by Willy Franzen, One Day One  Job
Willy Franzen of One Day One Job challenged his blog’s readers to make Facebook ads to advertise themselves to employers! Although placing an ad is not free, Franzen says that the ads are inexpensive and the cost is worthwhile given the potentially wide reach.
5. Ten Ways to Use Facebook to Find a Job, The Sirona Says Blog
Blogger and HR consultant Andy gives us more than enough reasons to believe that employers and Facebook are a good combination. My favorite of his tips is “don’t be boring,” although making sure your profile photo is you “in a non-stupid pose” is a close second. His light hearted approach reminds us that the right job should make the best use of your abilities, so shouldn’t your job search do so as well? 

The internet and its social networks continue to present us with new challenges regarding our online behavior and how it relates to our professional lives. The only thing certain is that technology probably won’t be regressing; however, we can learn how to protect our professional lives from being intruded upon by our social lives. Best of all, we can use social networking to improve our careers if we can find a way to make our unique online personas set us apart from all the other job seekers in our fields.

Support me by sharing this post:

Your personal brand is divided into two parts, your Personal Brand Image and your Personal Brand Identity, where the Personal Brand Image is how your peers perceive you and your identity, personality, values, skills, and abilities. Your Personal Brand Identity is who you really are (identity, personality, values, skills, and abilities) and what you want to communicate to others.

There are a lot of ways in which you can align the two, but today we will focus on networking and events.

When you see someone at a restaurant, in a meeting room, or at a networking event, you will automatically add definitions to your image of that person. If she is having lunch with a head hunter that you recognize, it will probably empower certain areas of her brand image such as skill level and professionalism, while having dinner with her daughter will add to her image of being a good mother, emotional skills etc. The bottom line is, your brand image is affected by the company you keep.

Using Facebook and LinkedIn to meet with the right people

Let’s say you want to meet with a certain type of person, to pick their brain, to hang out or to make inquiries about if their office is a good place to be looking for work. The first thing I normally do is to find out if there is anyone in my network that fits the profile, or if there is anyone that knows someone with the profile I am looking for. So how do I do this?

First I go to my LinkedIn account, looking around for certain skills, positions and interests of the people that I know personally. If somene fits the profile, then I just contact them. I do the same on Facebook, but the search possibilities are much more limited. OftenI find that I do not know the right person directly but that my connections know someone, which is almost as good. Let your connection help you get connected.  Ask for an introduction.

Finding the events where you want to be seen

You have now met with the connections in your network and also with some of their connections, but you still wants more. Maybe you are looking at the local chamber of commerce and other traditional networks for the right events to practice your networking skills. If you do that, it is a great start, but I have found that looking at which events my connections go to is much more efficient as far as find the best ones. The good thing is that Facebook and LinkedIn lets you do that easily.

LinkedIn lets you list the events that your connections are visiting by going to the events section. Here you can see them ordered by date or popularity. You can also recommend events to your connections.

On Facebook, you cannot actually list the events of others, but you can keep track of the one you are invited to and who else is attending. Go to the events page where you will see upcoming events and also the upcoming birthdays of your connections.

How do you use the social media networks to network offline?  Share your tips and success stories in the comments section.

Support me by sharing this post:

Time management is something that most of us struggled with long before social media.  As we become more involved in the world of social media and see the importance of building personal business relationships, managing your time both inside the social media space and outside as a business professional and human being becomes ever more important.

Once a month I host a free tele-seminar where I discuss a topic related to social media.  This month, I discussed “How to Manage Your Social Media in 30 Min. a Day.”  A very important topic for those of us who have too much to do and not enough time to do it.  The session went extremely well.  If you are interested in listening to the playback of the entire session, feel free to call (712) 432-1085.

Please note that all these tools, with the exception of a special feature within SocialOomph which I have noted, are free of charge.  While there are millions of social media management tools out there, here are 6 social media time management tools that have my attention.

1. Tweetdeck. This is my favorite third party application.  I can now see Youtube videos and Flickr images, in additon to viewing my FaceBook and Twitter accounts, all in one place.   I spend a great deal of time categorizing Tweeters that I am following so that I do not miss a tweet from my closest friends while also staying up to date on local and professional happenings.  My Tweetdeck is divided into columns including HR Peeps, Oklahoma, and hash tags like #HRHappyHour or #TRULondon.  I can stay up to date on the events I’m interested in very quickly by selectively engaging others in real time.
2. Ping.fm. An old favorite.  This allows me to ping multiple social media accounts and transmit the same data or message.  So basically, if I wanted to update my status across several sites, I would only need to do it once and Ping will take care of the rest.  I also have the ability to control which accounts I wish my message to be sent to.  Seesmic just recently purchased Ping and I’m eager to see how this acquisition will improve both applications.
3. SocialOomph. SocialOomph was formerly TweetLater.  With it, I am able to schedule messages on both Twitter and Facebook Fan pages, allowing me to target my message to a specific audience while saving time and stress.  This is especially handy when I am promoting an event or making an announcement.  The Twitter scheduling feature is free while the Facebook scheduling costs $29.95 a month and might be a wise investment for someone who is time conscious.  Another fantastic new option is an Opt-Out Auto DM feature.  You can log on to SocialOomph and opt out of spammy auto DMs like a Do Not Call List for Twitter Spam.  (I like it!)
4. Gist. This is a new tool I’ve been playing with.  It’s currently in beta and seeks to integrate and upload all of your contacts to one location from Salesforce, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and your email.  I’m excited to dive into this tool and give it a thorough test drive.
5. Tungle. My friend Chris Hoyt turned me on to this new tool that allows my friends to view my calendar and schedule meetings.  I control the settings and who can view my calendar.  It uploads your Outlook contacts and auto updates from Outlook to Tungle as well. So, Tungle me and let’s connect!
6. NutshellMail.  Another tool that I am just experimenting with.  This allows you to receive one email which will update you on multiple social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter, saving you the time and stress of sorting through all of that info different places.  I see this as a good tool for someone who wants to stay connected but isn’t a power user.

Photo Credit The Studio Blog.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media.  She has over 10 years of experience in human resources & recruiting.

Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting.   Jessica’s book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business was released January 2010.  Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

Support me by sharing this post:

A mullet is a unisex hair style that is short in the front and long in the back.  The mullet began making appearances in the popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not catch on with the masses until the early 1980s.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and job seekers can learn from those that sport this fashionable cut when managing their online brand.   A popular saying when describing a mullet comes to mind:

“Business in the front. Party in the back.”

Wise words when considering your online brand as a business professional no matter what your industry, position, or responsibility level.  Keep your business and professional profile in the front and in plain view of recruiters, prospective employers, clients. and customers. Keep your personal life and party in the back.  Users of social media need to be mindful to maintain a professional image while showing your creative and unique qualities at the same time.

Business in the Front

Social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, and Twitter are great mediums in which to develop relationships and grab the attention of hiring managers and recruiters. Share your expertise and lead with the business in all you do. I recommend that your posts, pictures, and tweets should be at least 70% business related. Lead with interesting articles, tidbits, and information that is industry specific or related to the job in which you currently work or aspire to.

Party in the Back

The remaining 30% of your social media content can be related to your personal side. But be wary. I have visited FaceBook profiles with one too many drunk and scantily dressed pictures, and tweets leading me to search for talent elsewhere. If you are unsure if something is inappropriate, ask yourself the following question, “Would my mother approve?”  Items that your mother would approve and/or tolerate are generally appropriate to display on your social media profiles.

Social media is all about interacting, listening, and developing relationships.  I encourage you to tweet and post comments seeking input and feedback from others both personal and professional.  Commonalities as well as unusual qualities make you interesting which may lead to engaging conversations with persons that lead to interesting relationships and new opportunities.

Unfortunately for Dog, the Bounty Hunter and so many celebrities including Tiger Woods, Meghan McCain, Larry Johnson, and Chad Ochocinco this advice has come more than a little too late.   Follow the Social Media Mullet Golden Rule and think before you tweet. Lead with your business in the front, and keeping your party in the back.  I promise you’ll thank me for it.

Photo Credit Zimbio

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media.  She has over 10 years of experience in human resources and recruiting.

Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting.   Jessica’s upcoming book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business will be released in February 2010.  Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

Support me by sharing this post: