7 Ways That Pinterest Can Help With Your Job Search

As one of the largest social media sites on the Internet, Pinterest has captured the interest of millions of people. While the thought of using what is essentially an interest-based digital pin-up board in searching for a job may not be the most obvious way to use the site, it can be extremely effective. There are a number of ways that you can use Pinterest to assist in your job search.

1) Follow the Movers and Shakers in Your Field

Pinterest makes it easy to follow anyone whose board you find interesting, and you can easily adopt this functionality when looking for a new job. It is essentially just another form of digital networking. When you identify someone in your field who you'd potentially like to work for or with, just follow them. This could easily be a start down the road to finding a new job.

2) Maintain a Strong Pinterest Presence for Your Job Search

A good Pinterest profile for a job seeker should briefly summarize a person's credentials, and it is always best to add a link to their LinkedIn profile. This will give people a more in-depth understanding of a job seeker and their experience and qualifications.

It is important to stay away from any subject matter that may be controversial. However, Pinterest does give people the ability to create private boards, and you can use these for posting things that you may not want hiring managers to see.

3) Resume Board can Help

Create an entire board that represents the different parts of your resume with different pins. Pin pictures of the companies you've worked for, schools you've attended, places you've volunteered and hobbies you enjoy. Because Pinterest is a visual medium, it can provide a multi-dimensional representation of your resume. Be sure to explain why each pin is important and supports your career and expertise.

4) Link to Your Pinterest Resume Board

Once you've created a board for your resume, you need to tell people about it. Add it to your LinkedIn portfolio, your Facebook and Twitter profiles and your paper resume.

5) Follow Companies or Brands to Find Job Advertisements

Many companies that use social media extensively will often advertise job openings directly on Pinterest. Finding out about a job opening early is a great way to get in ahead of the competition. In addition, the information that you can learn from following a company on Pinterest can make you stand out from the crowd during the interview process.

6) Follow Recruiters

A large number of recruiters and job placement companies have a presence on Pinterest, and following them can keep people updated on current openings. This is also an easy way to stay engaged with individuals who may be both willing and able to assist you in your job search.

7) Integrate Pinterest With Your Existing Online Identity

It is important to remember that a person's Pinterest account is part of their overall online identity that can include everything from their Facebook to their Twitter account. Definitely make sure that everything a potential employer can access online reflects positively on you as a job seeker.

The Bottom Line

Using Pinterest for job search can be a highly effective tool in finding a new job or changing careers, but there are some caveats to this. It is much more useful for individuals who work in creative fields as the site itself is visual in nature. However, this should easily be able to transfer into other industries if people make the most of the resources available.

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