The Social Network By Claire Gray
Claire Gray – Co-Founder of Bain & Gray, Boutique Secretarial and PA Recruitment.
Claire is a founding Director of Bain and Gray. Claire was approached to join a growing recruitment agency as a permanent consultant in 1998. She was then invited to join a leading boutique agency where she became a well-known name in the Secretarial Recruitment Industry before establishing Bain and Gray in 2009.
Social media is used for a number of reasons, including networking, sharing ideas and keeping up with the latest news and developments around the world. It’s no surprise then to see so many businesses using the likes of Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to share new job advertisements to draw in some of the best talent out there.
For example, in 2017, Akosua Boadi-Agyemang turned to LinkedIn to share her career aspirations, tagging the then Microsoft CEO, Jeff Weiner, in her post. She then went on to land an internship with the tech giant, proving just how powerful using social media to look for a position can be. At Bain and Gray, we utilise social media to share out latest job postings, as it is a great way to receive instant updates from potential candidates looking for new PA or EA roles.
This increasing trend has now led to more job hunters using their own profiles to seek out new opportunities, especially among the PA circuit. However, if you are looking to find a role in this way it is worth ensuring your own social media profiles are up-to-date and represent you in the best possible light. For example, if your media streams are full of images of you out partying it may be worth removing them.
Think about the pages you ‘like’, the posts you write, the things you share and the photos you’re tagged in. No one is asking you not to be yourself, but it is all about being sensible and having a positive digital footprint. Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are highly searchable and appear at the very top of Google searches, so making sure all your social media accounts are secure is crucial.
The most common transgressions on social media that have reflected negatively on potential job applicants and led employers to make the decision not to hire as a result, include:
Provocative or inappropriately suggestive photographs (46%)
Information about drinking or doing drugs (40%)
Negative statements about previous employers or fellow employees (34%)
Weak communication skills (30%)
Comments inciting discrimination (29%)
To help with your job search, we have put together a collection of helpful tips for assistants seeking new roles:
Brand yourself
Your social media profile is the perfect backdrop to showcase your interests and what you can do. For example, if you attend regular PA networking events, share these details so that potential employers know you are serious about the role and are willing to work out of hours. If you also have a personal blog or portfolio you can link to, here is the place to do it, too.
Avoid clichés
Try and ditch using buzzwords in your bio such as ‘passionate’, ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘bubbly’. These are common phrases that employers are used to reading when seeking a new applicant. Instead try and be creative and inject some personality into your description to grab their attention.
Stay active
By following or creating conversations with experts in the industry you will more than likely impress employers and remain memorable in a sea of competition. This may not lead to a job offer; however, it will demonstrate that you are an engaged member of the PA industry who takes their role seriously. It is beneficial to link in with bloggers and mentors who may have experience and information to help your future career too, so make sure you continually are networking with the right professional people.
Job search
Having a scroll through Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram you’ll likely come across new positions daily. Search for relevant hashtags to help with your job hunt and reach out to recruiters or employers to express your interest – again it may not always be the most successful route to find your dream role in the industry, however, you will grow your presence online and someone may notice.
Keep details up-to-date
Finally, one of the most important things to consider is to make sure your social media profiles are current and up-to-date. This is probably most relevant to LinkedIn, so it is worth reading over your profile, checking that your employment history is refreshed and any experience relevant to your next role is clearly indicated.
Bain & Gray
Leaders in permanent and temporary secretarial recruitment
Tel: 020 7036 2030