Quick: When was the last time you checked Instagram, Facebook or Twitter? If one of your social media accounts is staring at you this very minute on your phone, I’ve made my point.
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Credit: The Followers
But here’s the thing: As active as you are on social media, you’re probably not using it to its full advantage to advance your career. According to a recent Monster poll, 56% of respondents indicate they do not follow their current employer on social media.
If you're one of these people, I'd suggest you start following your company—and other companies you’d consider working for—immediately! Instead of thinking of it as a chore, think of this as a stepping stone to your next position and perhaps even a bump in cash flow.
Follow your own employer because...
You can find out what’s going on at your company—what major initiatives are being pushed and who the fast risers are with in the company—as well as how the firm is presenting itself to the world. This is particularly helpful if you feel like your job may be inconsequential to the big picture or if you feel in the dark about things going on in your company.
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Credit: The Next Web
Understanding what your company prioritizes can help you rise faster in the organization. Say you’re in marketing and you see on social media that the company has put out a press release for a new product. If you think up an innovative way to get more visibility for that key product, you can make yourself—and your boss—look really good, which is a first step to the next step on the ladder. You look like someone who has their finger on the pulse.
In addition to helping you take actions that will help you ascend, following your company will help you impress your boss’ boss and other company V.I.P.s at the next company picnic, all-hands meeting or holiday party. You’ll immediately have fodder at your fingertips. Use it! Talk about a headline you recently read via a status update and make it part of the conversation. You’ll not only feel intelligent, you’ll be viewed that way, too.
Follow other companies because…
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Credit: Biz 417
You’ll begin to see not only how your company fits or stands out in the field, and how all of the pieces fit together, too. And you’ll be able to be more responsive to industry trends and disruptions.
Secondly, lots of companies talk about their hiring plans on social media—so there’s that reason to follow competitors in your field.
Third, the next time you go on a job interview, the employer will likely ask what you know about the company By following prospective employers you’ll be in the know and have stuff to say during job interviews—and networking conversations as well. You can leverage social media as your one-stop shop to do incredible research without having to go very far.
Finally social media can give you a sense of company culture at an institution you’re considering. For instance, you might be inspired to see that the company is promoting its annual volunteer day via pictures on Instagram.
In sum, while you may think of social media as a personal rather than professional endeavor, these tools offer a great way to add insight to your job search process and to your decision-making process when you receive offers. So he, next time you see an interesting opportunity on Monster, check out the employer’s social pages to see what they’ve been up to. It may just help you craft the winning cover letter that leads to your next job.
By Vicki Salemi
Monster’s career expert Vicki Salemi has more than 15 years of experience in corporate recruiting and HR and is author of Big Career in the Big City. Follow her on Twitter at @vickisalemi
Source: Monster