Blog

If you are a like most people, you use Facebook on a daily basis.  If you are more tech savvy, you might also have a Twitter or use a blog site.  Perhaps you are a professional and prefer LinkedIn.  Whatever your social media outlet is, be sure to take advantage of the job opportunities these sites provide.

The Benefits—Applicants

Both technical recruiters and job seekers benefit from social media.  Applicants are no longer applying to an ambiguous IT job board with postings from all industries.  They are specifically following companies and positions that fit their interests.  Candidates can see if they have connections with the hiring manager for a gateway to the company.  Also, job postings and statuses are constantly being updated so there is no room for lag.

The Benefits—IT Recruiters

IT staffing firms post their positions at a low cost and bring in job seekers, including people within their network and who meet the hiring board’s criteria.  IT recruiters Boston no longer sift through countless resumes and take a stab at who would be a fit.  Though it might be considered biased, interests and photos help bring a face to a candidate so technical recruiters can determine if the candidate would be a match for the office environment.

Facebook

Though Facebook often has a bad reputation due to users’ lax privacy controls, the site can help IT headhunters and job seekers fill positions.  A company can create its own page for users to visit, hear about news, and learn about open positions.  IT recruiting firms can create groups such as Boston IT Recruiters and IT Job Openings for candidates to join and learn about upcoming opportunities.

Twitter

The beauty of Twitter is that its 140 character messages are short and to the point.  Technical recruiters can post their open positions to followers and prospective candidates by tagging keywords for trending topics.  For applicants, following, tagging, and retweeting an IT staffing company’stweets is a sure way to get noticed.  Though Twitter is not nearly as popular as Facebook, it certainly is a growing trend.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be thought of as a professional Facebook with less noise.  There is no wall to post on or anyone to send a tweet (though they can appear in a status).  User profiles consist of previous positions and recommendations, groups, experiences, and interests.  LinkedIn allows IT recruiters and candidates to network for upcoming IT jobs, join groups, update their status, and post or apply to open positions.

Some might say that social media is a fad, but soon job boards will become as obsolete as newspaper listings.  It’s better to act on these job opportunities before others discover this hidden treasure!