Outplacement Gets Social

In a world where everyone is online in some way or another, it’s no surprise that maintaining a positive online image can be extremely beneficial during your job search, just as having any online profile that paints you in a negative light can be detrimental to your chances of finding future employment.

Luckily, many outplacement firms have realized this, and as a result include online personal branding services as part of their overall available package. Outplacing.com, for instance, works with displaced employees to ensure they are using online social networking tools in their job search. The company also will review an employee’s online “fingerprint” to make sure they are representing themselves in the best way possible.

Social networking sites have the stigma of solely being for young people, but that is no longer the case, proving that more professionals are taking advantage of the medium. A recent study from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that the median age of LinkedIn users is 39, the median age of Facebook users is 33 and the median age of Twitter users is 31.

So why is this important? For starters, many companies have realized the power of social media and created representative pages that list information, contacts and job openings, all of which can help a displaced employee find potential career leads.

Aside from taking advantage of company pages, social media sites are a great way to network with other professionals. Job seekers can often connect with various people in their industry to learn about openings at various companies and ask for recommendations or positive reviews.

In addition, many studies have found that as the popularity of social networking sites increases, so does the number of employers who use those sites to check up on potential employees. Whether or not that is a moral move is still under debate, but that does not prevent employers from taking advantage of it.

It’s not only important to use social media to your advantage during the job search process, but also to maintain a positive image of yourself and what you want to represent on social networking sites. Luckily, outplacement firms such as Outplacing.com can help with that.