By Jeff Brown, Midwest Regional Manager
Attention, it’s time to build your social media! We are not talking about posting random photos from your private life or making comments on your friends’ everyday status. We are talking about using social media for your construction career. Whether you are looking for a job or you are looking to change jobs, social media is a great tool to get you there. In the age of internet and smartphones you must use all the means you have to promote your construction skills. With that said, take a look at the hints below on how to use social media in the construction world.
Build Your Profile
When we talk about using social media for your construction career, the first social media platform that you need to explore is LinkedIn. What better way to show to a potential employer or a construction recruiter that you take your career seriously than by having a LinkedIn profile that is up-to-date and accurately describes your construction experience and construction skills? Keep in mind that your LinkedIn profile is a mirror of your professional background and as such it needs to include all your recent achievements and the latest projects you worked on. Keep it nice and clean so that the reader gets the picture. Keep in mind that Facebook and Twitter are also great resources for your career and construction recruiters as well as employers are looking to see what you put out. Make sure you utilize all your social media to talk about your capabilities.
Show Your Value
A picture is worth a thousand words. Be mindful of that when you use social media for your construction career. Create a portfolio, a personal “brag book” with photos of your latest jobs like the latest bathroom you worked on or the last floor you put in, and use it to your advantage. Post photos on different social media platforms to show the value of your construction skills and what you bring to the table. Less is more, so be careful not to overdo it with your postings and be selective with what you put out there.
Build the Foundation
Another great reason to use social media for your construction career is to grow your network of contacts. Connect with contacts and follow organizations of interest through your social media platforms. Join construction related groups that help you stay up-to-date with your industry while demonstrating to a construction recruiter or a hiring manager how active you are. It’s time to build new bridges with the power of social media.
Stay Professional
Keep in mind that social media must be a supplementary part of your overall effort to land a job or grow your career. With that in mind, your social media presence must be carefully thought-out. For example, photos from the last party you attended or your political views and comments have nothing to do with your construction experience and as such must be avoided. Separate between your personal and professional background on social media. Hiring managers care about your construction skills and tune out when they see irrelevant references.
Keep Going
Updating your LinkedIn profile every blue moon, rarely interacting with construction folks and adopting a personal instead of a professional style on social media is not going to get you anywhere. On the contrary, in order to take advantage of the benefits of social media for your construction career, you must have in place a concrete plan of attack. With that said your presence must be constant and regular regardless of your employment status or how busy your schedule is. Show that you are and will be there at all times.
Key Takeaways to Social Media for Your Construction Career:
1. Build a LinkedIn profile that is up-to-date and accurately describes your construction experience
2. Social media platforms are a great place to show your professional value
3. Use social media to grow your network of contacts
4. When you use social media for your career, stay professional
5. Your social media presence must be constant and regular
About TradeSource
Founded in 1993, TradeSource is a construction labor solutions firm focused on delivering labor solutions to contractors throughout the United States. By supplying skilled tradespeople – where and when they’re needed – we help contractors grow their companies, without the associated costs and hassles of full-time hires. Likewise, we match qualified employees with rewarding and well-paying job opportunities in the construction industry. www.tradesource.com
