Pinterest is quickly becoming one of the most popular social media sites averaging a number of 10 million visitors a month. Pinterest is used as a bulletin board platform allowing its users to pin or re-pin things such as recipes, photos, memes, or crafts. It’s easy to use, and like other social media it allows you to be followed by or follow other users. Also, similar to other social media, Pinterest can become a valuable branding tool for job seekers to use for employment.
Since Pinterest is a more visual social media platform than others, it makes it a good tool for job seekers looking for jobs in visual fields such as graphic design, photography or fashion. It can also be used as a quicker and easier alternative to having a personal blog. Your Pinterest link can be added to your LinkedIn profile or in your email signature for hiring managers to see.
On Pinterest, job seekers can create their own original content by the quick click of an upload button. Since Pinterest works best for visuals like photographs and images, uploading job seeker documents like a resume won’t work well on the site. Instead, job seekers can pin or re-pin content that is associated with their industry.
The more boards used the more content and value job seekers can add to their page. The pinning process works chronologically from most to least recent. Job seekers should therefore be strategic in the way they pin items by making sure the last thing they pin is of value because it will be the first thing viewers will see.
Aside from using it as a branding tool for your profession it can also be used as a way to present your personality and hobbies. This can give employers a more well-rounded idea of who you are. Pin pictures of family and friends, your pets, hobbies you enjoy and quotes that inspire or motivate you.
As with any other social media platforms, the key to using it for employment is to always be engaged. This means updating and commenting regularly, following users with similar interests for ideas, and following professionals in your field. It’s true that hiring managers are more likely to check your LinkedIn profile rather than your Pinterest, but its continuing growth as a social media platform suggests that hiring managers may begin to use it as well. If you invite hiring managers to look at your profile by adding a link in your LinkedIn or email signature you can make yourself more employable by offering a more creative and original platform of yourself.
Have you used Pinterest to aid your job search? If so, tell us about your experience below!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by merfam
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