How to Use Pinterest for Your Job Search

So yes, we all know of Pinterest as the go-to place to design a wedding mood board or pin recipes to try for summer barbecues. But did you know that you can also it for your job search? On this the fastest growing social media network, you can either waste endless amounts of time pinning "shoes to buy," or you can spend your procrastination time by making a job board for yourself. Can’t hurt, might help! Here are a few ways you could use your Pinterest to help boost your job search.

1. Pin your resume.

Thousands of people do this. You might even see some traffic. Better yet—make a resume Pin Board and fill it with pins that represent all the different parts of your resume highlights. Pin links to the schools you’ve attended, the companies you’ve worked for, the projects you’ve worked on. Make those text boxes work for you—write commentary as you would in your resume for each pin.

2. Link it up.

Your beautiful Pin Board isn’t going to do you much good if no one knows where to find it. Add it to your LinkedIn portfolio, your Facebook and Twitter profiles, even advertise on your Instagram. Add the link to your email signature and business cards. Just make sure there’s nothing unprofessional on your Pinterest (or make those boards private) before linking far and wide.

3. Be a follower.

For both inspiration and career tips, try following the greats on Pinterest as well as other platforms. CareerBliss is a great place to start, as is your college career office, if they have an account. If you’re unemployed, try the 405 Club. FlexJobs and Brazen Careerist are other great options, but you can always just type “career advice” into the search bar and see what turns up!

4. Stalk potential employers.

If the company or companies you want to work for have Pinterest, follow them! You can learn a lot about company culture and what may be expected of you in an interview situation by studying what they post. Re-pin their content if you like it, establishing a connection or—at minimum—making sure they see your little account name pop up every time you do.

5. Build your brand.

Choose images and words that support the brand you’re cultivating across other platforms. Be professional, of course, but yourself. Never underestimate what a well cultivated Pinterest board can do to show your strengths and tastes and sell you at your best.

6. Get inspired.

If you’re feeling bored or discouraged in your job search, you can always sift through other job seekers’ Pinterest boards for inspiration. What are some creative ways other people are using social media sites to maximize their search and build their brand? Spend 20 minutes going down the rabbit hole and see whether a better idea strikes you!