How Instagram Can Help You With Your Job Hunt

How Instagram Can Help You With Your Job Hunt How Instagram Can Help You With Your Job Hunt Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are great for keeping in touch with your family and friends, and are also important tools for professional networking. But Instagram has now become a site of choice for companies to interact visually with their customers, and may be the latest and greatest way to help you in your job search. Here are 5 ways to use Instagram in your job search: Brand Yourself. A picture is worth a thousand words. In this sense, Instagram can be used as a personal branding machine. If youre interested in becoming a chef for a specific company, for example, post pictures to your account that show the best dishes you can make, or photos of you commanding a kitchen crew, then hashtag to get your name out there. Show that you are immersed in the food industry and that you love what you do. Don’t be afraid to hashtag the name of your target company, so your photos will show up on their company page. This is perfect for branding, and not only will it connect you with other industry folk, but it can snag the attention of the company youre after, if your photos catch their eye. Become a Follower. If you have a company in mind that youd like to work for, or if you have 20 of them, make sure to follow what they are doing and connect to the other industry experts they are following. Find out company values and other organizations they may be connected to, whether they be work related, non-profit affiliations, etc. In this way, you can tweak your Instagram account to showcase your interest in all the things your desired company is interested in. You can also follow specific people or departments within a company. The benefit here is that you can see people/ companies who they have personally tagged, and then network with these people. If you want to know who is at the top of the hiring chain or who the most influential members of a company are, check out their website. You can also use this info to find and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, creating a networking windfall. Use Hashtags. One of the most effective ways to get a company to notice your Instagram account is to use hashtags. Use industry keywords as hashtags to describe pictures you’ve posted; i.e. if you attended an important culinary conference or workshop, you could upload a photo of the event with #chef and #(nameofconference), or the hashtag the conference is already using. This makes your photo searchable and easier to find by those who attended the event and other industry insiders- which could lead to a lot of connections. Hashtags also boost your photos placement in general search results. You never know who might wind up looking at your picture! Tag to Self-Promote. You can also tag a specific company to get their direct attention. This act is more about blunt self-promotion, so make sure what youre posting is not only relevant, but that it conveys what you want to portray about yourself. Do some company research and use applicable terms when you tag a company in a post. Lets say youre interested in working for a restaurant that specializes in Kobe beef. Instagram a picture of yourself praising their dish, preferably dining on it in their establishment, then tag a photo of your version of the dish. This will likely spark intrigue from the company- just as long as it looks good and its done in a respectful and non-competitive way. Tip: Don’t hashtag every single picture that you post, or you’ll dilute the worth of your hashtags and you will start annoying people (this is the last thing you want to do). Only tag the very best of your best work. Connect. Once you’re following your desired company or companies, and have hashtagged accordingly, its time to connect, if you havent already done so. A great way to start is to comment on their own Instagram photos to spark a conversation. Ask a question, as this is a great way to get in touch with current employees or management. Or better yet, answer a question in response to posted consumer inquiries. This can garner acknowledgement from the company that you have the inside scoop and know what youre talking about. (Just make sure you do know what youre talking about if you try to answer a question. Not providing the right info can invariably tank your employment chances.) Social media is quickly becoming one of the fastest ways to find a remote job. Make the most of your Instagram account, and use this visual network to show employers who you are and what you can offer them. Landing your dream job may literally be a snapshot away. Readers, do you use your Instagram account to job hunt? Let us know how in the comments section below!