If you’re using social media at all, you can’t avoid hearing about Pinterest. The “up and coming” of the social media world, it seems to be attracting attention as a visual bookmarking tool. Users scroll through profiles for pictures others have “pinned” to their virtual bulletin board. You can then pin someone else’s picture to your own board as a way of bookmarking it for sharing and revisiting. You can also pin something you find on the web by using the bookmark tool.
I can certainly see the benefits of this tool from a networking and sharing point of view, not to mention the general attractiveness from a visual standpoint. But, is it useful for your job search? I think there are a few things that make it beneficial:
- Follow companies that have a presence. You can learn more about them by the things they pin, as well as re-pin some of their items to show your interest. A few to check out: Whole Foods, Sony, Southwest Airlines.
- Create a resume. Include visual representations of your past experience, keywords and images that illustrate your skills. A word to the wise: remember Pinterest is all about the visual. If you’re going to use it to market yourself for a job, make sure whatever you post is visually appealing. A static, purely black and white resume will do more harm than good in your overall professional image. Click here for some samples.
- Follow career experts, such as college career centers. The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has a nice page, with recommended career books, suggested interview attire and career advice.
In short, I think it’s gaining traction as a useful tool, but the larger, more utilized tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are still the best uses of your time.
Also posted on Tampa Job Search Examiner