How Your Social Media Profile Can Make Or Break Your Next Job Opportunity

Social networking is a recent invention that has the Internet still at the edge of its seat due to its popularity with people. This is mostly because it really is for the people. If you do not utilize any of the several forms of Social Media you risk falling behind your competitors who use Social Media. A survey conducted in the US last year revealed that close to 90% of employers either recruited, or were planning to recruit, through social media. According to the 2012 annual technology market survey conducted by Eurocom Worldwide, “Almost one in five technology industry executives say that a candidate’s social media profile has influenced their recruiting decision. Managing your social media profile has become even more important as it can make or break your chances of being hired.

Social media can give you an opportunity to hunt down the job of your dreams, but they won’t do it on their own. You need to be strategic and proactive in how you use them.

Here are some ways by which Social Media can be utilized:

• Highlight your professional self on social media: LinkedIn is undoubtedly a great tool to showcase your professional aspect as well as network with other professionals. Twitter can be used to talk about relevant subjects, follow industry experts and engage in conversations with them.  You can also follow organizations that interest you and stay updated with their activities, in case you are planning to apply for them.

• Connect with Right People/Organization: Becoming friends with any company that you are looking to work for or already working for is another smart use of social media. It also becomes an added advantage if the HR Executive or CEO of the firm which you are thinking to apply is already in your network.

• Keep your Eyes Open: Don’t overlook any opportunity that may come across in any form. Be it a question, advice, Discussions etc. make sure you participate in all conversations that can fetch you eye balls.

• Create your professional profile on LinkedIn: Many recruiters now use LinkedIn as their primary tool for sourcing candidates, so having a well-written and keyword-rich LinkedIn profile is essential. Make sure your profile reflects your area of expertise.

•Build a recruiter-friendly Twitter bio: Twitter is a force to be reckoned with, and both employers and recruiters now use Twitter on a regular basis to search for candidates and advertise vacancies.

•Network: The great thing about social media is that they let you communicate with people you might not meet in real life. Create your own networks by making contact with people who work at companies you’re interested in. Building networks is a long-term process but it is worth investing the time. Interact with people, learn from them, and show what you can contribute. You can join LinkedIn groups or specialist forums and share knowledge, have conversations with like-minded people and build virtual relationships – in fact, this is often easier online than in person.

However, if you want to ensure a potential employer never rejects you, make sure your online social profile depicts the type of employee a company would want to hire.

Finally, if you plan to use social media as part of your job search, remember that recruiters regularly carry out internet searches on the names of potential employees. So, keep your personal life private and make sure that all your online content is positive and professional and it depicts you as the type of employee a company would want to hire.
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10 Hot Job Profiles in 2013

Here are 10 sought after job profiles for the job seekers looking out for a job in 2013.

1) Analytics

Reason

Recent developments in hardware and networking technologies have made it cheap to not only gather large volumes of data, but also to store it and retrieve it with ease.

“The ability to analyse the data and make business sense out of it is a skill that is fast gaining prominence,” says Ajit Isaac, MD and CEO at Ikya Human Capital Solutions, who projects 12,000-15,000 openings next year.

Sectors

Banks, consumer goods, retail, IT & IT consulting, business consulting, & e-commerce/online.

Skills

Training/experience in statistics or financial analysis; familiarity with statistical techniques, and software such as SAS and SPSS.

Pay

Rs 4.5-8 lakh (p.a) Entry level (Graduate/PG)

Rs 8-12 lakh (Five years of experience)

Rs 15 lakh for IITs & Premier Schools

2) Sales

Reason

India is being seen as a large consumer market for various industries. And, many organizations, globally, are directing resources to grow it.

Muninder Anand, director, information solutions, Mercer, says there has been an increase in sales jobs at junior levels (sales executive, sales officer and area manager) and this, in turn, is creating opportunities at senior management levels (general manager sales and national sales manager) to manage the junior workforce.

Sectors

Consumer, pharmaceuticals, hi-tech, manufacturing & engineering, auto.

Skills

Communication & sales skills; exposure to industry.

Pay

Rs 4-10 lakh (p.a) Entry- to mid-level

Rs 24-50 lakh Senior management

3) Chief operating officers

Reason

2013 will be a year of greater competition, says E Balaji, MD & CEO, Randstad India. “So, as CEOs and business heads focus on increasing their market share, COOs would be focussing on cost control, cash flows and inventory management.” The demand for COOs is expected to grow 30% in the next few years.

Sectors

IT and IT-enabled services, engineering, procurement and construction.

Skills

Ability to multitask, make decisions under stress, motivate pros.

Pay

Rs 1-2crore (p.a) in large organisations

Rs 60-90 lakh SMEs and start-ups

4) IT & Mobile product development

Reason

With the Internet becoming an ubiquitous part of more and more lives, a lot of economic activity has moved online as well.

“A smooth, seamless user experience and a robust technical platform are key elements of a successful web presence,” says Ikya’s Isaac. “Firms recognise this, and, hence, people who can build such platforms are in great demand.”

Sectors

IT product, e-commerce, IT consulting and mobile application.

Skills

Knowledge of the latest tech and an eye for consumer insights.

Pay
Rs 12-18 lakh per annum (Entry level)

Rs 35-40 lakh (5 years of experience)

5) R&D professionals

Reason

According to Mercer, India is being seen as an R&D hub; several organisations are investing in R&D centres across industries. The current requirement is for niche skills at the junior management level.

Sectors

Auto, chemical, consumer, pharma, healthcare and IT.

Skills

Ability to conduct research to create new products.

Pay

Rs 5-6 lakh (p.a) Entry level

Rs 12-15 lakh Mid level

6) Supply chain, procurement & contract management executives

Reason

New projects are coming up in renewable energy segments. In engineering, there is demand for hardcore vendor development and people who know manufacturing/production processes enough to reduce cost.

Sectors

Oil & gas, power, petrochemicals, chemicals, auto, manufacturing and retail.

Skills

Experience in procuring capital equipment for petrochemical, oil & gas or power industries.

Pay

Rs 8-25 lakh (p.a) Mid level

Rs 35-70 lakh Senior level (GM and above)

7) Non-exec board members

Reason

India Inc is facing a paucity of independent directors. “Individuals with knowledge of corporate governance issues (among others) are in demand,” says Anindita Banerjee, client partner of Stanton Chase India.

Sectors

Mining, agrochemicals, healthcare and life sciences.

Skills

Leadership skills to drive better governance and increase efficiencies in areas of environment, health, safety & clean tech.

Pay

Rs 15-30 lakh per annum (Retainer, for meetings on a quarterly basis)

8) Social media buffs

Reason

Brands are going social, and customers and stakeholders are taking their conversations online. “Consumers are taking peer reviews seriously and basing their purchase decisions on them,” says Balaji of Randstad India.

Sectors

Technology, media, e-commerce, auto, FMCG and lifestyle product companies.

Skills

Tech-savvy; certifications from Google, Yahoo and MS ad platforms will help.

Pay

Rs 4-6 lakh per annum (Mid-level as it is still a nascent segment)

9) Junior engineers

Reason

Mercer’s Anand says most organisations that employ engineers are planning to expand. Maximum openings are at the junior level, including IT engineers & process engineers, product and design engineers.

Sectors

IT, telecom, auto, manufacturing, engineering & chemical.

Skills

Engineering and project management.

Pay

Rs 3.75-16 lakh per annum (Entry to mid-level)

10) Training staff

Reason

According to Amit Jain, business head, as more educational institutes open up, more trainers would be hired.

Sectors

Education, training.

Skills

B.Ed, relevant bachelors /Masters degreel

Pay

Rs 4-5 lakh per annum Entry level

Rs 9-10 lakh Mid-level
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Turning a Love of the Arts into a New Career - Career Change Profile: Brian Johnson

When Brian Johnson tired of his job at a small financial advisory firm in Madison, Wisconsin, he wanted to make the transition into a career closer to his passions.

“I knew I wanted something different, something more,” Johnson says. “After four years doing something I was good at but wasn’t crazy about, I knew it was time to find something I could really put my heart into.”

Johnson always loved the arts. At the University of Oklahoma, he received a bachelor of music, focusing on percussion performance. And while living in Madison, Johnson spent his free time as a freelance musician as well as music arranger and instructor for the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps.

Starting the Search

After taking some time off to go to Thailand, Johnson returned to Wisconsin and scaled back to working part-time while he thought his career through. He worked on construction projects at his late father-in-law’s house, apprenticing under his wife’s grandfather -- it was a perfect forum for self-reflection. As Johnson trimmed and nail-gunned Sheetrock, he asked himself over and over again: What do I want to do next?

A friend referred him to an occupational psychologist, who gave Johnson tests to find out what jobs appealed to him most. The psychologist helped Johnson understand he was searching for a career that could fuel and coexist with his happiness.

“I was going about it the wrong way,” Johnson says. “All along, I was focused on finding a position where I could maximize my talents and have a big impact, but after talking with him, I realized that what was more important was to find an organization whose vision I agreed with; something in the arts.”

Networking Turns into a Job Opportunity

As Johnson set out researching potential professions by thumbing through headings in the Yellow Pages, a friend on the board of the nonprofit Madison Ballet mentioned the group needed a new business manager. Johnson was intrigued and applied. He got an interview.

“As I started talking to these people, I realized that while the ballet wasn’t music, it was still very much the arts, which meant it was a way to facilitate creativity in young people while teaching them about life,” Johnson says. “The arts are laden with educational opportunities in a way that not much else is.”

After a series of interviews, the ballet board offered Johnson the job. He quickly was promoted to executive director, a position from which he orchestrated tremendous growth. Under his leadership, the group amassed hundreds of new members, dozens of new dancers and launched a number of new programs. During Johnson's tenure, the ballet was also the recipient of a $210 million gift for a new performing arts center: The Overture Center for the Arts.

Johnson left the ballet for a job with a high tech startup in January 2008 but says his time at the Madison Ballet was one of the most fulfilling professional experiences of his life. “Every day, we were helping these young artists learn about ballet and about life,” he remembers. “To me, there’s no greater calling than that.”

Four Ways to Follow Your Own Passion

Here are Johnson’s top four tactical suggestions for changing careers and following your own passion:

• View Job Hunting as a Job: “You should take finding a job as seriously as a job itself,” Johnson says. “Commit to the process of working on the resume, networking and finding job postings. Spend at least five to 10 hours a week. If you’re really trying to hit a home run with your next job, it’s not enough to wait for a new career to fall in your lap. You have to get out there and find it.”
  
  
• Get Impartial Advice: “Your family will always encourage you, but talk with people who are not vested in your career outcome,” Johnson advises. “Personally, I recommend an occupational psychologist or mentors. You want to find someone who is objective to help you dissect the issues and help you figure out what it is you’re truly passionate about.”
  
  
• Focus on Your Resume: “The resume is a standardized tool for the employment process, and it behooves you to spend the time to get it right,” Johnson says. “Read sample resumes, and pay close attention to the phrasing, words and verbiage. Ultimately, your job comes down to how well you can market yourself, and you may need to extend your vocabulary beyond where it is now.”
  
  
• Build Your Network: Since a friend’s recommendation landed him his job at the ballet, Johnson is up on networking. “Joining service clubs such as Rotary International, the Lions Club and Kiwanis is a good way to network and find new opportunities,” he says. “In these groups, you will create relationships that are deeper than they would be in a traditional employee-employer situation. In the end, the relationships can only help you follow your passion.”