I’m a big fan of Klout, the social media scoring system. When you create an account, it allows you to see a cumulative Klout score across your social media networks. While the scoring system is great, one of the best features of the system is the ability to find influential people in different niche areas. This has some great ramifications for job seekers. When looking for a job, it’s always a great idea to do research about your field of interest and connect with people in your industry. Here are three ways you can use the Klout version of social media analytics in your job search activities.
1. Find Influential people in your niche. In my previous post, I outlined how to find important people in different fields using Klout. For job seekers, this is very important. Whatever your field is, you’ll want to do the following.
- Follow key people and companies on Twitter
- “Like” the Facebook pages of prospective employers.
- Take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of key people in your field.
- Look for résumé ideas
- Look for key contacts
- Look at education backgrounds and requirements
Klout can help you do this quickly and easily. With their large list of social media sites, it’s easy to get connected.
Start with people and companies that you know and look at their influencers and who they influence. Here is an example…
Justin at Career Builder is a great person to connect with on Twitter. He’ll keep you updated with current job search advice and career trends.
2. Take a look at Lists. Klout has a great list feature that can help you find influential thought leaders in business and government. These lists can be a goldmine of information. Klout user Mike Sansone has compiled a great collection of lists to get you started in your business and leadership search. Here is a screen shot of how they work.
Lists are easy to access. Just open a Klout profile and you’ll see any lists that the person has created or is included in. For direct job information and career professionals, Karen Siwak has a great career based list. Very helpful.
3. Make It Easy To Find Your Resume: When you setup your Klout profile, you can add numerous social media sites to the mix. if you are looking for a job, you’ll want to put your best foot forward. Make sure any profile that you list has been updated and has current contact information. If you have an online résumé at Career Builder or other site, be sure to provide a link in one of your profiles. Make sure it’s up to date and that it is easy for prospective employers to contact you.
If you apply for a job on LinkedIn, you can upload your résumé with it. In the Résumé section of the job application, click Browse. Locate your résumé on your computer and select it. Your resume will be uploaded when you submit your application.
Overall: Job Search can be a time consuming activity. Klout’s social media analytics can help you do your research and find key contacts to communicate with. Make sure it’s part of your job seeker’s tool chest.
Question: How could you use Klout on your job search?
