Social media is an important tool for connecting people and growing connections, both personally and professionally. For Gen Z workers looking to grow their careers, it can be the starting point to landing their dream job. Forbes reports that for each extra salary dollar, it’s 2 per cent more likely that the role will be filled via social media. And finding a job via social media isn’t the only benefit — networking, learning new skills and building a like-minded network are among some of the other ways that savvy social media users are levelling up their professional lives.
To learn more about the top tips for integrating social media into your career development journey, we spoke with Sam DeMase (@apowermood), a career confidence coach and TikTok creator and soon-to-be published author. Through her online courses, videos and resources, Sam aims to help people (particularly marginalized folks) hack the corporate system. Read on for her tips for how you too can start corporate hacking your way to a better, more fulfilling career.
See more: The world’s top female-friendly companies.
Learn skills through social media
There are plenty of hard skills you can learn through social media, especially on platforms like TikTok or YouTube. Quick-hit videos or longer-form series that can help you gain new skills are usually just a search away. Start using your social media to follow and engage with those in your field and you’ll quickly pick up valuable tips and recommendations.
Sam says she recommends TikTok to start engaging with niche content related to your field. “The algorithm is kind of spooky, and really gets to know you at a molecular level. Follow things that really resonate with you, and you’ll get served more content that is within your community.”
Hard career skills you can learn through social media:
- The ins and outs of crafting more confident professional emails
- How to identify social media trends (important for any marketing role)
- Graphic design tricks
- Coding (you can take coding lessons online)
- Social media platforms (knowing how the platforms work is itself a hard skill!)
- The mechanics of writing a professional resume and cover letter
Learn self-advocacy through social media
The foundation of Sam’s brand is to arm her audience, especially marginalized folks, with “the tools that they need to thrive in a workplace and a system that wasn’t built for them.”
A huge part of self-advocacy is being paid what you’re worth.
Self-advocacy is one of the most important — if not the most important — skills that can be learned through social media, according to Sam. It’s often something we’re not taught growing up, by family or in school, she tells us.
Soft career skills you can learn through social media:
- How to stand up to a toxic boss
- How to ask for a raise
- How to properly research company culture
- How to grow your workplace confidence
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Identify pay growth opportunities through social media
A huge part of self-advocacy is being paid what you’re worth.
Social media is particularly helpful for igniting conversations about pay inequity, Sam shares. “People create Google Docs, saying like, ‘Hey, I work at this big company. This is my title. This is my salary. This is my equity bonus’, and it makes the rounds on social and people from all over the country who work for that company fill it out. This is really helpful because women, non-binary folks, marginalized folks, POC, anybody who is considered marginalized [will] be at a disadvantage in salary negotiation unless they have the insider info like these salary transparency sheets.” Start your search for pay equity spreadsheets on Twitter or Google, Sam recommends.
Related: Career tips for Women of Colour in the workplace.
Use social media for networking opportunities and job leads
If the idea of networking intimidates you, you’re not alone. Sam recommends having a specific goal in mind and an approach called niche networking, where you reach out to people you share common ground with — be it the career you’re after or a community you identify with. So, if you’re interested in working at a certain company, reach out to an employee of that company that you share common ground with.
“I’ll kind of share my perspective and say like, ‘Hey, I’m a queer woman. I noticed that you had up the queer organization at this [company]. I’m really interested in working here. Would you be open to talking for like five minutes about the work culture and your experience there as a queer woman?’.” In terms of finding communities of like-minded individuals, Sam recommend Twitter, LinkedIn and even Reddit.
See also: Back to school in your 20s, 30s and beyond? 10 reasons to hit the books again.
Prepare your social media profiles for recruitment
Your social media account isn’t going to all be about your career. Almost everyone has social media outside of their LinkedIn, but anything you post on any platform should be something you’re proud of. As a rule, do not post anything that causes harm to others. Spruce your LinkedIn profile up with the following quick tips from Sam.
LinkedIn profile tips:
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- Include a professional photo
- Make sure your profile matches your resume
- Ensure that it captures your experience and top achievements
- Add a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume (and if you’re a creative, also link to a portfolio site)
See more: Signs your boss is quiet firing you (and what to do about it).
Find and evaluate sources on social media
Finally, with so much information out there, and so many creators offering a multitude of opposing opinions on the same topic, how do you comb through the weeds to find the advice that’s best for you? Take what resonates with you and leave the rest, Sam advises. “If it feels powerful to you, it feels like some something you would say in your voice, and you’re excited to implement that advice — use it!”.
See also: This is how much money you need to be happy.
