Creating a Personal Brand on Social Media

Social media can be a great tool for individuals looking for employment no matter what position they are currently in. Websites such as LinkedIn have been developed as a professional social network, however, people may be surprised to hear that Facebook and Twitter can also be used to find employment. Marketing on social media can sometimes be hard, especially for the younger generations where it is a habit to use these sites for personal reasons. Here are some tips to find a job on social media:

1. LinkedIn: One of the good things about LinkedIn is that there is no page limit. This means individuals can add all things they find relevant and avoids the process of eliminating some experiences. It also means you can include as many recommendations from colleagues or previous employers to expand on your descriptions of your experiences. You can also include all of your relevant work experience and skills you've developed. Finally, make sure you are active, make meaningful connections and join relevant groups. Engagement shows employers your dedication and enthusiasm for the job search.

2. Twitter: Your Twitter bio should outline your general interests, your current position and the field you are working in. If you are actively seeking a job make sure to follow companies you are interested in and influential users in your field. Finally, use hashtags, retweets and favorites to get noticed by professionals! Just make sure they are relevant and appropriate.

3. Facebook: Work on making your profile professional rather than personal. Begin by untagging or deleting any content that you think is inappropriate and make your profile as private as possible (aside from your employment history, location and professional skills and interests). Look for groups that focus on issues you are interested in and that other professionals in your field making it easier to network. Sometimes you may find job postings in these groups!

In general, make sure to create your own online personal brand. This can help you identify what makes you different and unique about you compared to everyone else. Using keywords can help employers who are searching for specific skills find you online. Finally, don't use inappropriate words or statements! This will weaken your personal brand and make you stand out in the wrong way to employers.

Career Services at Brock University has tons of resources on social networking for career success including books, handouts and magazines!

Sarah Mitchinson
Senior Career Assistant

Navigating CareerZONE

CareerZONE is a campus resource that provides you with access to a variety of career and job search tools, and will help you connect and prepare for the world of work. From job postings, resume templates and online workshops CareerZONE is a Brock student’s one stop shop for everything career related!

First, go to careerzone.brocku.ca and click the student login tab along the top. Your login information is the same as your student portal (one less password to remember!).

Once you login you will have access to a variety of resources including …

1. Job Postings

The CareerZONE job posting board has a variety of domestic and international summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, on-campus jobs, internships and full time jobs listed. Updated on a regular basis and not customized to any specific program, Brock students in all disciplines will find something that interests them on our job board.

 2. Career Services Events Calendar

Throughout the year our department hosts a variety of career and job fairs, further education events, workshops and employer recruitment events. This calendar is being updated as new events are announced so check back often and don’t miss out on some amazing opportunities!  

3. Online Resource Centre

Many of our resources in the Career Resource Centre can be found here. It is divided into different sections to make it easier for you to navigate the variety of resources available.  Some sections include:

Career & Job Search -> This section includes resources on general job search sites and interview tips, using LinkedIn and social media for your job search, Niagara Region employment and volunteer agencies and a link to the directory of Careers and Employment in Canada among others.

Career Assessments -> Links to Career Cruising, Typefocus and Talentoday career assessments are listed in this section. To find out more about these assessments check out our previous blog posts on Career Cruising and Typefocus. 

Cover Letters, Resumes, CVs & Letters of Intent -> This section includes everything from checklists, templates and examples for all common career documents. We even have sample resume’s for every program at Brock!  

Interviews -> Resources include handouts on informational interviews and general interview tips along with a link to Interview Stream, an online tool which helps you prepare for an interview by providing feedback and tips on non-verbal behavior and communication missteps.

Further Education -> All of our “Considering Grad School” information series handouts are listed in this section including resources on teachers college, law school, med school and social work.

Going Abroad -> Everything you need to know about international internships, teaching opportunities, exchanges, working and volunteering abroad can be found in this section. A link to Going Global, a country-specific career and employment database containing more the 30,000 pages of information is also included in this section.

Resources for Teacher Candidates -> Resources on applying to school boards, teaching specific cover letters and resumes and teaching interviews are all included in this section

4. Workshops

Online workshops are available on a variety of topics including cover letters, resumes, portfolios, CVs and even basics of interviewing! All workshops completed can be tracked on experienceplus.

As you can see CareerZONE is full of a variety of amazing resources to help Brock students in their job search. We hope you find the information and resources your looking for and encourage you to visit us in the Career Resource Centre if you any questions or would like more information on any and all things career related!

Mike Pratas
4th year Political Science Major
Lead Career Assistant 

(Instagram)@brockcareerserv

(Twitter)    @brockcareerserv

(Facebook) @brockcareerserv