Instagram is very visually oriented. It can be used to show your creative side as well as your unique personality. It can also be used to learn more about the company you want to work for and its culture. It is estimated that by next year there will be 100 million accounts on Instagram. This includes not only personal profiles but company profiles. Companies are using their Instagram profile to promote job openings as well as their culture.
So, if you’re sending your resume out to companies, take a look at their Instagram account. If you can’t find their Instagram account, you can go to LinkedIn and find some employees names on the team page. Then Google the employees’ names on Instagram. This will give you an inside look of the company culture. You can also search by the geotags that pinpoint the company’s headquarters if the employee has pinned their location for a company outing. From these you can see if there are trends such as a monthly event. Maybe they participate in certain events where the employees are volunteering their time. These are all things you can use when chatting with the prospective employer. You can mention it as part of what you do know about the company. You can also include that conversation in your thank you note after the interview.
All this research on the profiles will let you know if they are a good fit for you. Do their values align with yours? Do they do some things that you couldn’t get behind? These are all important things to know before applying or going in for an interview. This also helps you to answer the popular question “why do you want to work for this company?” You will impress the interviewer if your question is very specific to what they do, such as whether they volunteer to build houses with Habitat for Humanity every fall.
If you don’t already have an Instagram account, set one up. Make sure to keep it professional. If you have anything you don’t want a prospective employer to see, remove it. Make sure the bio you have is professional and provides a synopsis of what you have to offer. You can add a link to your LinkedIn profile in your bio for employers to be able to view.
Once your profile is set up and ready to go, start creating an online resume. Create pictures and videos that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. It could be you demonstrating something that showcases your knowledge. It could be personal achievements such as running a marathon. Then start following companies that you aspire to work for. You can use the search function to find them. Start liking their posts. After a while, you can message them to say you like their culture or ask for an informational interview.
Now go out there and give these tips a try!
