The headlines read: Facebook buys Instagram. Pinterest is growing rapidly. LinkedIn is killing the resume. The popularity of these social tools may have more in common than you think. They are providing users with the opportunity to convert the meaning behind the words into pictures.
It used to be the written word was our only choice for conveying our qualifications as a job seeker.
Today, you have access to tools that allow you to better convey this message.
Photo Sharing
Instagram (and there are others too) allows people to share their photos with social networks. Most people have a smart phone and take pictures with it. Instagram makes it simple to share these photos. (Well, you do need to register for free, load the app on your smart phone and voila!) It also offers the photographer cool editing features. On Twitter, you see links to these photos often. People at conferences, events, or just working hard!
Here I am w/ @ittechexec getting ready for back-2-back #tchat & #tcfchat gr8 forums for our techies! twitter.com/rezlady/status…
— Sheree Van Vreede (@rezlady) July 18, 2012
LinkedIn Portfolio
You can post a professional photo on your LinkedIn profile that captures your hardworking and responsible style. You can upload a PowerPoint presentation demonstrating your work. Think pictures. Check out the tools referenced in this presentation.
Pinterest is fun and addictive.
But don’t let that stop you from using it for your job search.
I wrote a post “What Pinterest Says About You” and in case you don’t click through to read it, in short, what it says is that the combination of boards and their content help form an impression. My take on the rapid growth of Pinterest is this: we love photos and images. They are candy for the eyes!
Joshua Smith creates an ecclectic mix of collections on Pinterest. He is more active than many with 15,626 images posted across 92 boards.
Get creative, think outside of the box! What visuals represent the words and concepts you are trying to convey?
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
