Article on reesmarx europe’s survey in CBR
New research suggests increasing numbers of us are using social networks to secure a new job.
New research has revealed that job hunting in the tech industry is going social, with an increasing number of people finding work via sites such as LinkedIn or through personal contacts.
Reesmarx europe, a recruitment firm specialising in technology companies, claims that around one-third of the respondents to its survey said they had used a social network site to secure a new job.
LinkedIn was unsurprisingly top of the job hunting pile, with 27% of respondents saying they’d used that service to get new work. A further 6% said they had used a different social network to hunt down a new career opportunity.
While that leaves 67% of people saying they haven’t used a social network to find a new job, reesmarx europe says the results show a shift in a attitude towards using these services for job hunting purposes.
“Social networking has become extremely popular for recruitment purposes,” said Glyn Rees, managing partner at the company. “Clearly the majority of roles aren’t filled by using social media channels alone, but we’re seeing increasing levels of interest in our own LinkedIn group, as it provides an excellent forum to pair technology firms with the most suitable candidates.”
Another interesting find from the study was the prominent role played by good old fashioned face to face networking in job hunting. When it comes to finding the best roles, 16% of respondents said they found they were usually available direct, with a further 34% saying recruitments firms were the best option. The remaining 50% said personal contacts was the best way of finding a new role.
Reesmarx europe also offered some hints and tips for ensuring your profile on LinkedIn gives you the best possible start when it comes to job hunting. “By taking care to populate your LinkedIn profile with as much detail as possible, and by keeping it regularly updated with relevant experience, it really helps you to stand out in a forum that is increasingly becoming one of the first places for employers to look when hiring,” said Rees.
The reesmarx europe survey quizzed 687 people working in the technology sector across Europe during September 2011.
Last year LinkedIn published its own guide to standing out on the site by offering what it called the top ten clichés and how to avoid them.
“Phrases like ‘extensive experience’ and ‘proven track record’ can appear empty to a potential employer and may do more harm than good when you include them in your profile or resume,” said Katie Ledger, a board member at BrandYou, a LinkedIn campaign launched in November 2010 to highlight the increasing importance of personal brand management at all stages of an individual’s career.
LinkedIn’s own list of the top ten clichés is as follows:
- Motivated
- Extensive experience
- Innovative
- Proven track record
- Dynamic
- Team player
- Proactive
- Entrepreneurial
- Skill set
- Problem solver
