The value of social media sites is putting your information out there and being able to connect with people, so it makes sense that communities have been established around very tight niches. The value of being active in a niche community is that the participants have a natural rapport already established from sharing a common affinity. This facilitates networking.
One example of a niche online community is Brazen Careerist, a site targeted at career issues for Generation Y (the generation of people born between 1980 and 1995, also known as Millennials and Trophy Kids). Similar to other social media sites, Brazen Careerist allows you to create a profile, post ideas, and connect with other members. The Groups function is where communities specific to industry, function, geography, interest, or goal connect. Organizations post jobs or sponsor events via the site.
Because you know that Brazen Careerist is specifically targeted at Generation Y, you can become active on the site if you are trying to reach Generation Y contacts, including organizations that target Generation Y.
Another example of an online community, though not a social media site in its strict definition, is
Meetup.com. Meetup.com posts live meetings around specific topics. You can set up an account so you can search for events and groups near you. The networking happens live, so it is not social media per se, but clearly the online component is greatly facilitating the targeted networking.
The value of niche online communities to your job search is in the targeted networking:
- If you want to reach a targeted group, by identifying a social media site for that group, you focus your networking efforts.
- Your ability to interact and build connections with this tight community is a way to gauge if you are indeed interested in this group and if they are interested in you. This can help you position your overall marketing.
- Organizations are also active on niche online communities, so you can find organizations that are predisposed to your profile.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Examples of social media sites include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and niche online communities.
- The value of social media sites to your job search is in the ability to push out your information and to connect with people in a targeted way.
EXERCISES
- Which social media sites will you select for your job search? If you are not familiar with these sites, visit the ones mentioned in this section to get a feel for each site.
- What specific steps do you need to take to increase your activity in the social media space? Do you need to establish a profile? Do you have a profile but need to update it or post ideas? Pick one social media site (again, LinkedIn is recommended for its focus on professional careers) and create or update your profile.
- How will you incorporate social media activity into your job search going forward? Set calendar reminders each month to update your social media profiles.
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