Submitting a job application isn’t always enough to get noticed by employers. In today’s career expert Q&A, Julie Bauke walks us through when, why, and how to approach employers through social media.

Why can it be advantageous to approach employers via social media instead of through more traditional channels?

There is not one right way to approach every employer, so you always need to be thinking about the best approach for that particular employer.

If you see that they are active as a company or as individuals on LinkedIn, then you can be comfortable that they are open to being approached that way. If, in your research, you find the hiring manager’s name and look him up on LinkedIn and he has few connections and an incomplete profile, you’d better stick to more traditional methods. If the company or the decision maker is active on Twitter, follow them for a while so you can get a good feel for style, favorite topics, etc. before you engage.

It is a good idea to have more than one strategy per employer. For example, applying online only is almost always a loser as it is easy to get lost in the hundreds of responses. In that case, as soon as you have hit “submit,” begin your search for a networking contact who works there who might be able to help you in your navigation of the process.
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