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Media Savvy A growing number of companies now log on to Facebook, Twitter to check out potential employees

February 8, 2010

More employers use social media

EILEEN GODIN Times Leader Correspondent

WILKES-BARRE – Social media Web sites offer more than just a way to seek out friends or old classmates. More businesses are using Facebook and Twitter to gather information on potential employees or to attract customers.

To shed some light on all the possibilities, Wilkes University Alumni Association hosted a Get Social Media Savvy Workshop last week in the Henry Student Center.

Recent Wilkes graduates Donna Talarico and Stephen Moyer presented information from two perspectives – networking for a job and promoting a business -- using social media avenues such as Linkin.com, Facebook.com, and Twitter.com.

Talarico, marketing specialist at Solid Cactus Inc., said social media has exploded within the last few years. For example, she said, Twitter has “75 million accounts with only 15 million active.”

According to statistics on Econsultancy.com, Facebook has an “excess of 350 million active users on a global basis.”

With those numbers, it’s easy to see why businesses would want to have a profile on these sites to attract traffic and how networking within a given field could result in career growth.

Annette Sheydwasser said she is trying to help her husband, David, business network.

She said she built a page for his architect business last month and has gotten positive feedback.

Sheydwasser said she was glad she attended the workshop and can see how social media sites can help promote a business and send more traffic to her husband’s site.

Moyer, a Whiting Consulting recruiter, said he had utilized the social media to network to help boost his career.

He advised people to think of the social media sites in this context for networking: Twitter.com as a cover letter and Linkin.com as the resume.

He said that while Twitter and Linkin are more profession orientated, Facebook reveals more of the individual’s personality.

Moyer agreed that making cold calls and sending out resumes is still the preferred method of seeking a position, but the social Web sites help get a person’s information out.

“The social media helps you create your own personal brand,” he said.

Talarico said employers now have a new avenue to get more information about applicants.

“Before, the information they had was strictly what was on paper,” she said. “Now, they can search potential new employees on these Web sites and get a better idea of their personality.”

Talarico said to always be mindful of what you post on a site because potential clients and employers may see it.

“Keep the drunken bar photos to yourself,” she said with a laugh.

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