How 5 recent college grads used Facebook to entice employers…
Willy Franzen over at One Day, One Job blogged today about a unique experiment he coordinated with some entry-level job candidates:
Instead of helping employers target students with recruitment messages, why not help students/new grads target employers with Facebook ads? Basically, we want you to create an ad for yourself. The goal is to sell yourself in a few short sentences and convince any recruiters who may see your ads to click through to your resume/web page/contact information.
Read Willy’s post to see how five job candidates fared with their Facebook ads. He also provides a step-by-step guide to how you can apply this strategy if you’re interested in trying it.
All of this reminds me of the former investment banker who drew headlines this summer. Frustrated with his job search, he decided to stand on Park Avenue handing out resumes and wearing a sandwich board that said, “Experienced M.I.T. Grad for Hire.” The Facebook experiment seems to be the online version of the sandwich board job search strategy.
Do I think these types of stunts are effective ways to find a job? Well, they’re clearly a way to make yourself visible and make some new connections, which can only help your prospecting. The danger is that you might turn off the exact people you want to impress — some employers may find Facebook ads a little too self-promotional. On the other hand, some employers might love the idea of a go-getting job hunter who isn’t afraid to be aggressive.
I’m looking forward to seeing if the five candidates in Willy’s experiment get real-life jobs from their online ads. What do you think of this approach? Share your thoughts!
