Social Media and Your Job Search An Interview with Tamara Joiner

Social Media and Your Job Search An Interview with Tamara Joiner On August 27, Tamara Joiner, president of  IntelliTalent Management Consulting, LLC,  spoke to the WorkSource Professional Network on how social media can have an impact on your job search.   Here are a few tips from Joiner, got her start in human resources as a recruiter in Washington, DC over twenty years ago.   She has worked in staffing ever since and is a Certified Personnel Consultant.   Joiner says that the key to a successful job search is to make sure you use all available channels to connect with opportunities.   “If you focus on just one, like the newspaper, you’re really missing out.   Only about four percent of available jobs show up there.”   Joiner says that older candidates (we mean you, baby boomers) are having trouble adjusting to social media as serious career tools; many still consider them time wasters and frivolous activities. Joiner relies heavily on social media sites like LinkedIn to find candidates for her recruiting and consulting clients; she says that most companies expect to find candidates through these channels.   You may be overlooked if you’re not there, since she estimates that 95% of the companies she works with use some form of social media in their search.     Recently, she uncovered 200 candidates for a job solely through online communities.   She likes the format because she can see a person’s whole background â€" and sometimes, samples of their work â€" with just a few clicks.    She can also view candidates who are not actively searching for new opportunities, or use them as resources to find others in their industry. Joiner says that the mistake most people make is being afraid to reach as far as you can.   “No connection is too remote,” she insists.   Connect with your network from church, your former classmates, and especially, people you used to work with.   “You never know where that next job lead will come from; you should be reaching out to everyone you know.   Being in a career transition is a great excuse to get back in touch.” Coming soon: Building your online brand through social media.