Social media is fast becoming the normal way of doing business for many start ups and SMEs. Larger scale corporates are cottoning on quickly and more and more recruitment is now done via Linked In, Twitter and other social media streams than ever before.

So, in this new digital world, what can you do to find your next opportunity?

Build a Linked In profile:
If you’re not on Linked In, this should be your first job! It’s so easy to set up an account and it can be so rewarding because it’s one of the first places recruiters go to search out specific skills in certain locations.

Therefore, take the time to add your career history, including details of qualifications and specific sectors in which you have experience.

The more key words you include on your profile, the more likely it is you’ll be found.

Create a Twitter account:
Twitter and e.g. engineering or financial services don’t feel like a natural fit and they don’t have to be. You don’t have to be an active Twitter user to benefit from it. By simply creating a profile you can gain access to jobs as they are posted. 

For example, many recruiters use ‘hashtags’ to group their jobs and make them searchable. Try putting #engineering #finance #HRJobs or #NEJobs into the Twitter search box to see what you find.

Taking it a step further, you could start following key brands in the industry. This way you’ll stay on top of news and developments and be amongst the first to see jobs as they are posted.

Make jobs boards work for you:
Trawling jobs boards can be laborious and disheartening, especially when you don’t quite find what you’re looking for. It’s too easy to give up after two or three high level searches. 

If you’re thinking about a move in the next few months, don’t leave it until the last minute. Instead, create custom emails from key jobs boards.

You can select which kind of jobs you’d like to be notified of via email and in which locations. Then, as you perfect your CV you can collect an inbox full of opportunities. It’s a great starting point for assessing the market with very little work.

Join the right groups:
Following on from point 1, Linked In is more than an online CV. Linked In also hosts hundreds of thousands of industry specific groups. Next time you log in, select ‘groups’ in the top right top and search for ‘engineering jobs’ or 'finance jobs Newcastle' and other similar terms. 

By joining these groups, you will be notified of new jobs as they’re added and again, you can keep up to date with news and blogs meaning you’ll have plenty to talk about in your next interview!

Build connections:
Social media isn’t just about a constant flow of information. It’s also about connections. The more people who know about you and your skills, the more people will recommend you for work when it appears. 

So, get into Twitter, Linked In and other sites and build your network. On Linked In for example you could connect with recruiters in the engineering field or employers at large engineering companies.

On Twitter, you could follow key recruitment companies and employers in your sector.