Let’s all face it; social media has taken over our lives. We are connected at all times to a phone, computer, I-pad, or some sort of digital device. We no longer look up to see what’s going on around us since our noses are worried about how many people “liked” our photo or commented on our status update.  No one picks up the phone any more to call friends and family, they assume you are doing great because your Facebook photos look like you are enjoying life and you seem happy. 

I recently posted on my Facebook telling my friends to stop “liking” my pictures and to pick up the phone to call me. Some people got offended and others “liked” it, ugh! This was extremely frustrating. 

If you are currently looking for employment there are 3 things to think about when it comes to your digital and social media second lives:

1.       Hand written thank-you letters, still appropriate- Even though it’s so easy to quickly type of a generic email thanking the person who interviewed you, but it’s very impersonal. I love receiving hand written thank-you notes.

It’s so easy, bring a thank you card, already filled out, to your interview and drop it off at the front desk when you leave. You will save on postage and it will be delivered that same date.

It’s nice when I’m having a long day to receive a call from our receptionist saying I have a letter at her desk. While it may seem ancient to you, it does still mean a lot to us recruiters.

2.      Pick up the phone and call me-Most of our business is conducted via email; however some things are appropriate to actually speak about.

If you have a list of questions for your recruiter or simply want to follow up, I suggest picking up the phone and calling.  You will be able to learn more about the status of the role and you will be able to communicate better than just sending an email. 

With this said, I don’t suggest calling more than 1 time a week.  If you don’t hear from your recruiter then go ahead and shoot her an email. 

Finally, ALWAYS leave a voicemail. When I received missed calls without a voicemail I think to myself, “Well, it must not have been important enough to leave a voicemail.”

3.      Stop wasting your time on social media-if you’re unemployed, it may be easy to sit on your social media throughout your day while you look for a job. I write about how to manage your time looking for a job as your full time job in “The Recruiting Snitch”.

For this blog purpose I will highlight that you need to get up, get off your computer, get dressed, and go meet people face-to-face. Get off your computer and interact with human beings in your area.  I highly suggest visiting www.meetup.com to see what groups and events are occurring in your area and make it a priority to attend 1 “meetup” event per week.

Social media is great but use it to connect with people and then meet up with them face-to-face. You will receive so much more opportunities by doing this each week.

In summary, social media and our digital lives are a great thing to have, however when it comes to finding employment, don’t let it control you. By writing hand written notes it will set you above the competition. Through phone conversations with your recruiter you will learn more about the role and have a better working relationship. Finally, by getting out of your house and meeting with people face-to-face you will receive more opportunities than sitting behind a computer all day.

These are all valuable thoughts to keep in mind. I discuss these topics and much more in “The Recruiting Snitch”, order your copy today! www.recruitingsnitch.com

 

Written by one of Central Florida Employment Council's Board Member GUEST BLOGGERS:

Alysse Metzler, Author of The Recruiting Snitch