E-Connect With Your Dream Company!

Let’s face it – everything is going online now so the faster you adopt this, the more advantage you’ll have over others.

And if you are gunning for your dream job at your dream company, using your social media to connect with potential employers may just be the way to go.

Why? First, it’s a direct link to the company’s official social media account so you don’t have to wonder if your CV will reach the right person or if you got the right e-mail address. Second, if you do it right, your social media may interest a hiring manager who thinks that you have the potential to be on board. Third – just about everyone is on social media so what better way to network and form a connection, right?

But before you fire your requests away or post a comment on the company’s social media page, you need to know the fine art of connecting online with your dream company. It’s not like you and I making a connection of Facebook; it’s a whole different ballgame altogether where if you play it right, it may just pay off big time.

Here are some things to think about before you press send or post:

#1 Do your research first
Before you tweet the CEO or HR director of the bank you want to work at, make sure you scroll through the entire feed to get a good idea of what the person is like. Some people are OK with you retweeting their original tweet and love to have an online banter with followers. Some may not be as responsive on Twitter but don’t really mind the comments. Get a feel of what that person’s online networking style is like so you can adapt yours to follow suit. If you do the opposite, you’ll be noticed for all the wrong reasons and last thing you want is to be thought of as rude, intrusive and annoying!

#2 Don’t hoard who you follow
It’s tempting to want to follow all the companies you think you might apply for but it’s a whole lot better if you have a selected list of relevant companies and individuals to keep in your follow list. This way, your social media won’t be flooded with posts and tweets and pictures from Company A to Company Z. Overload of information will cause you to lose focus (or even lose some important status updates like a job opening) so zoom in on who you are interested in for a more selective way to network online.

#3 Don’t spam
So the HR director replied your tweet to him – yippee! But that’s not a ticket to make a comment on every single thing he posts up on his social media. You don’t want to come across as a stalker on social media and basically flooding the company’s or individual’s page with your comments is definitely the first way you’ll be singled out as one. Go easy on the comments – you want to be memorable, not a crazed fan!

#4 Work on your own social media feed
You sure you want to post that TikTok of you doing that dance? Not too sure if that’s the image you want to convey to your future employers! Most social media accounts are public (until you actively make it private) so your personal world is for all to see, yups – that HR director included. You don’t want to make controversial updates or post photos of you doing reckless things. With social media as huge part of our lives now, more and more people use it to get a gauge on the kind of person you are – and that includes the hiring manager from the company you’ve been eyeing. What you want to do is make sure you are professional in your social media count, that your personal brand is well represented. You can always set up a private account for just friends and family to showcase your fun side.

#5 Go on, be brave
Been lurking in the background for a while on the employer’s Facebook or Twitter? You can’t form a connection until you make one. If you’ve done your homework and know what you’re talking about, go on and send a comment or a tweet back. Keep it short though; that’s more impressive and memorable than a super long post. Then sit back and see if they bite the bait.

#6 But don’t connect just for the sake of connecting
So you’ve gone for an interview. Then you decided to do a search on social media for the person who interviewed you. Bingo – found it. It’s probably safe to hit the Add button right? Not quite – just because you’ve had one connection during the interview doesn’t give you the green light to send in a friend request. It may make the other person uncomfortable, especially if you don’t really have a reason to connect.

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