Career & Work Life Matters, ISSN 2150-6299, Vol 5, no. 5
Google+ for Career and Professional Development?
There are many choices available when it comes to using social media platforms to support your career and professional development. LinkedIn is generally regarded as the social media platform of choice to support professional career development and job search activities.
But should you consider Google+? The answer will depend on your goals and priorities. Read this article to be more informed about the best options for you.
What are your current career goals?
The 2013 JobVite survey of trends in social recruiting, found that more than 90% of recruiters used LinkedIn to find, contact, vet, and keep track of prospective candidate. If working with recruiters is part of your strategy, it is evident that being visible on LinkedIn is essential.
However, not all professionals work with recruiters, either because it is not appropriate or they choose not to. For some professionals, Google+ may provide advantages over LinkedIn.
See below for a free checklist to save you time on profile completion of if you’re new to the Google+ platform.
Three Possible Benefits of Google+
1. One potential advantage of G+ is that its size. Despite its relative newness, it is growing rapidly and has approximately twice as many members as LinkedIn. If you are researching companies or working to build connections in organizations outside of your network Google+ may be a good choice.
2. In general, the Google+ platform is more open than LinkedIn. You may be able to manage the built-in barriers that LinkedIn has to connecting outside of your network by joining relevant groups. If this does not work, it is worth investigating Google+ as an alternative.
3. Google+ may provide a search advantage. The platform is owned by the top search engine. Like twitter, the platform allows you to focus your search through the use of hashtags. Both of these can help you be found and search more effectively.
Are you Ready to Set Up your Profile?
If you’re ready to set up your profile, download this free checklist (or click the image below) to save you time. Even you have already created a profile, now may be a good time to review it to be sure that you have completed all the sections in a way that will support your career goals.
Jennifer Bradley helps professionals lead their own careers, empowered with the information, tools, and resources that they need. She offers individual coaching and consulting, teaches classes, and publishes articles on career development and career transition. If you’re new to the Career & Work Life Matters Blog, and would like to discover more about your personal career management skills, request a Free copy of the Career Scorecard. |