Law grad or lawyer looking for job? 94% of employers use social in hiring
Are you a law grad looking for a job or a lawyer looking for a better job? Blogging and social networking are apt to work better for you than another cover letter and resume in a stack of hundreds.
Job strategist and author, Hannah Morgan (@careersherpa), reports at USNews that Jobvite’s 6th Annual Social Recruiting Survey is filled with strong evidence that hiring is happening through social.
In June 2013, Jobvite surveyed 1600 recruiting and human resources professionals online. More than three-quarters of hiring managers surveyed report actually hiring through social networks: 92 percent used LinkedIn, 24 percent hired from Facebook, and 14 percent found their new hires on Twitter. Also, 94 percent of hiring managers use social networks at some point during the recruiting process, and 93 percent say they are likely to look at candidates social profiles. According to the survey, when recruiters view your LinkedIn profile, they want to verify professional experience, length of professional tenure and specific hard skills.
Employers see a greater ROI when using social, faster and better hires.
One-third of the hiring managers and recruiters surveyed credit social recruiting with speeding up the hiring process. The findings also conclude that the highest-rated candidates are sourced through social networks, as well as through referrals and corporate career sites.
The first place I look when meeting a candidate is online. The last place I look is a resume. What is a resume going to show me as to initiative when I see that a candidate does not have the initiative to even build an online identity for themselves?
Yes, it takes some time to build an online identity through blogging and social networks.
Profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. Connecting, sharing, and commenting on these four social networks. Establishing a blog and sharing what you’re reading along with your insight and commentary. It’s work and you will not see the results overnight.
What you will do is separate yourself from the pack. Most lawyers and law grads won’t put in the time. They’ll be intimidated by the process. They’ll get comfort in not acting by others saying social doesn’t work to get a job.
You’re also putting in the groundwork for something that will last you a lifetime. A word of mouth reputation and relationships.
The proof is in on social. What are you waiting for?