With the ever-increasing presence of social media in our lives, it’s easy to want to separate it from our professional efforts. You don’t have to go overboard, but don’t underestimate the value of social media in your job search. You might be surprised at how active potential employers are on major social platforms. Even your comments on blog discussions can get you noticed.
If you are trying to get a job with a local hospital or Healthcare IT vendor, you might start by connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter. After that, here are some other social media platforms that you can work into your professional networking strategy:
The huge professional networking site has fallen out of favor with some, as it seems to be trying to become more like Facebook. However, employers still go there to find out more about potential hires. LinkedIn is not just a site to update when you’re actively looking for a job. Once you complete your resume and profile, you can join some of the groups related to Healthcare IT, such as HIT Professionals and Epic Jobs and start contributing to discussions.
To find groups in LinkedIn, go to the upper right menu and click on “Work”, and then select the “Groups” products.
Quora
Quora is the ultimate question and answer site where you can follow and be followed according to question categories. It’s been used by industry leaders and at least one U.S. President. When you participate, you earn Quora credits that you can “spend” to promote your answers, or ask experts about topics. It’s an intellectual gold mine, but has strict rules against self promotion.
HIMSS
The Health Information and Management Systems Society is the leading Healthcare IT professional industry group. They influence policy and provide educational resources. You can also find local chapters to connect with people in Healthcare IT.
Reddit is a discussion thread forum that has “subreddits” on just about every topic. They recently gave the site a facelift and are a good place to connect with people at every professional level. A good place to start is the HealthIT subreddit.
Disqus
Disqus is a commenting platform that is used on many websites and forums of every size. If a user has a Disqus account, other users can see their comments from the Disqus website, regardless of where the comment was originally made.
HISTalk
HISTalk is a pioneering Healthcare IT blog. It covers all kinds of events, rumors, market data, and Healthcare IT sales. Watching for recent sales of Healthcare IT products can be critical in helping you connect with hospitals who are in the beginning stages of projects.
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