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More than 230,000 service members transition from their military careers to civilian life each year. As these individuals pursue jobs in the civilian realm, they must bring all their skills and experience to the table to land the jobs they want. There is, however, another skill that has become critical to the job search for retiring military personnel: social media.

More job recruiters than ever are leveraging social media to determine which candidates are the best fit for the positions they are offering. In fact, 93 percent of all recruiters look at social networking profiles before deciding to hire a potential employee or not.

As a result, it is essential that that veterans use their social media skills to bolster their chances at landing a civilian job. In fact, it can actually hurt their job prospects if an employer can’t find them online. Here are just a few of the reasons social media skills are important while searching for employment:

 

Social media makes you easy to find.

As important as social media has become to the hiring process, you must ensure that potential employers will be able to find you online. You should make a name for yourself on as many social media sites as you can, building full profiles on each. This will make it easier for hiring managers to find your social information when they conduct online searches for you.

However, it isn’t enough to simply establish accounts on various social media sites. You should build your profiles with the intent of attracting the attention of the types of companies you would like to work with. This will be easy through the use of keywords and industry-specific terminology.

Look at the job descriptions that your desired employers post online. You should be able to identify key terms to use in your own social media profiles. This will make it easier for those in the line of work you are interested in to find you online.

 

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Cultivate a personal brand.

Whether you call it your personal brand or your reputation, how your potential employers see you will influence their decision about whether or not to offer you a job. You can use social media to begin cultivating your personal brand.

As a veteran, this is a process that you may be unfamiliar with. The culture of the armed forces promotes teamwork over individualism. You will need to work hard to demonstrate your merit amongst civilian employers.

Start with your “search brand,” a.k.a. the social media profiles that employers will find when Googling you. You will need to develop a professional identity for yourself on these sites.

If you are looking to capitalize on your technology skills, for example, then you should tailor your social media accounts to fit this image. Highlight your tech experience on each profile and share topical articles to these pages. Writing your own content can also help convey your professional brand to employers.

 

Make the most of popular social media platforms.

LinkedIn is, by far, the favorite site among civilian job recruiters, 87 percent of whom use the platform to vet potential candidates. Creating a profile on this site will, therefore, be a critical aspect of your civilian job search.

You can use LinkedIn to communicate your professional brand by uploading information about your military experience, civilian positions you held in the past, and your educational history. The site is also a powerful networking tool, allowing you to connect with other professionals and companies you would like to ask about potential employment.

Facebook is another popular social media platform that can be a boon to your job search. This site is good for much more than personal networking. It creates the perfect opportunity for you to establish a profile with a more professional focus.

By consistently sharing content that is related to your desired career field, you can encourage others to participate in your brand and grow your professional network. Prospective employers that find your professional Facebook page will also get a glimpse at your dedication to your sector of interest.

 

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Turn to veteran social media sites.

There are also veteran-oriented social media sites that you can use during your job search. RallyPoint, for example, is a vast online network that caters to both active service members and those who are transitioning into civilian life. Somewhat akin to LinkedIn, this platform allows you to network and find job opportunities in the civilian sector.

Hire a Hero is another social media site that can support you during your search for civilian employment. This site consolidates job postings from different companies that are seeking to add veterans to their teams. You can easily look for positions using criteria such as industry, location, and organization.

 

Know when and how to communicate your military service.

Conveying experiences and skills from your time in the military will be an important aspect of your job-oriented social media use. For example, you can use your social networking accounts to share your achievements from your military service. However, you should only include any commendations that are relevant to your desired civilian field. Keep the information you convey as concise as possible, as this will make it easier for civilian recruiters to find and understand.

You should also avoid using military-specific language when communicating your past experience in the service. Instead, you should translate your former roles and responsibilities into lingo that civilians can understand, making your social media profiles accessible to everyone.