Nunok's Blog: Can Pinterest Help Your Job Search?

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Can Pinterest Help Your Job Search?

via Mashable by Sean Weinberg on 2/12/12

Sean Weinberg is the COO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes and grades resumes instantly. You can connect with Sean and the RezScore team on Facebook and Twitter.

Just when you thought you had mastered the job search on all social media platforms, along came Pinterest.

You've optimized your Facebook and LinkedIn pages and you've got the Twesume. Now it's time to amp up your job search even more by putting your resume on Pinterest.

What's the Big Deal?

For those of you not in-the-know, Pinterest is a social networking site where people can create and share content within the context of visually-oriented pinboards. Its recent explosion in popularity has helped this site expand beyond cute baby/dog/porcupine photos and wedding event planning tips, which are still plentiful. Now, with something in the neighborhood of 6 million users, you're a fish in a pretty big pond.

Instead of butting heads with the "big three" social media sites, Pinterest complements social media usage by tying into Facebook and Twitter.

Much like Facebook or Twitter, job seekers are using their Pinterest account to share portfolio work, personal content and yes, their resumes.

Apart from the fact that it's still the hip new thing — and it still requires an invite, though it's not hard to secure one — Pinterest serves as a new and convenient avenue for job seekers looking to share content. It's not like a blog that demands attention, and it doesn't run the risk of having that one obnoxious friend who tags you in photos you don't remember.

How Can I Put My Resume On Pinterest?

Kick Off: Fortunately for you, it doesn't matter if you've never been on Pinterest or you've been on it obsessively for a year. All you need is an invite, and there's no profile to fill out — that's right, not even an "about me". Currently, Pinterest requires either a Twitter or Facebook profile to get started. Once in, you'll be able to connect with both and then share through both channels.

Create Board: A Pinterest profile is divided into pinboards. Create one for your job search. Give it a catchy name, like "John Smith — Space Cowboy," or something else that's simple and will catch a potential employer's eye.

Pin It: Now that you have a newfangled "job search pinboard," it's time to start pinning. Of course, your resume is a valuable addition, as well as pages from your portfolio, press clippings and accomplishments you can claim. Think of your pinboard as a living resume that grows as you grow in the professional world.

If you're at a loss on what else to pin, try breaking your field into bite-sized chunks. Let's say you're in public relations with a specialty in event planning. Your boards could include a public relations board filled with PR and marketing goodies, a media board filled with articles, news and infographics, and an event planning board chock full of wedding ideas, party favors and the like.

Brand It: Much like everything else in the world, Pinterest isn't meant to just be about one thing. Open up to new pinboards to pin and repin different content. Think about how your other pinboards can frame your job search pinboard: showcase your interests, your well-rounded life, anything that can help give a prospective employer a better understanding of who you are.

Share: You know the drill — if you want to be noticed, you have to share. Publish links to your pinboards on your website, business cards and resume. As I said before, Pinterest integrates very nicely into Facebook and Twitter, so consider pushing to those networks to notify followers and friends when you've pinned something worth seeing.

Currently, Pinterest requires that you write a little snippet below any content you're pinning. Instead of adding an oh-so-creative "." or a "This is cool!" add your input to kick off a conversation in the social media world.

What do you think? Would you try Pinterest for your job search? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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