Job sites like Monster and Indeed seemed revolutionary in the early 2000s, but a computerized job search saw many resumes and well-intentioned job seekers overlooked by machines. Many would spend hours on a resume simply to see it vanish into the darkness. Even worse, there were fewer opportunities to justify common barriers – including gaps in job experience, legal problems or lack of education. How can you explain your potential without even being able to talk to a human being?
With close to a 7.5 percent unemployment rate in Washington, D.C. and over 60,000 struggling to make ends meet, many are still struggling with barriers to employment that can’t entirely be fixed by a computer or traditional job search. And D.C.’s homeless population – reaching over 11,000 as of the last pointed count – face a growing urgency to make a living wage in order to find affordable housing, maintain government benefits and get off the streets of the district.
Thankfully, job recruiters are increasingly valuing personality, culture fit and company interest in addition to skills and experience. This gives individuals experiencing homelessness a chance to leverage their most powerful tool: their story.
If you’ve talked to any individuals at Street Sense or those working with social services programs like LIFT and Thrive DC, you’ll immediately notice tenacity, ambition and a willingness to beat the odds. These are all redeemable qualities at any workplace, but we’ve often experienced the job search process in a vacuum; it privileges skills, work experience and education over the fight against struggle or reconciliation with a difficult past. We admire those who have rehabilitated and often highlight those who have taken advantage of their second chances – so how can people who have experienced homelessness and struggle use their stories to their advantage?
Social media tools like Linkedin and Twitter can help enormously in people’s job search by connecting like-minded interests and breaking down communication barriers. Here’s how social media can offer struggling individuals a fair chance at employment:
Market personality. Do you have an interest in a social issue? A quirky hobby? Maybe you’re a comedian or easily excited about music. It doesn’t take income or years of job search experience to have a unique aspect of your personality that can be fit for a job. Social media allows you to share experiences, be candid about your hobbies and professional goals and connect with others who may have these same goals. If you are someone who enjoys a good joke or tends to be the bubbly and optimistic person, use an anecdote in a Twitter bio or Linkedin summary to illustrate how this can be an advantage in the workplace.
Leverage recommendations and endorsements. On social media sites like Linkedin, you can allow advocates to provide validity and credibility to your candidacy through personal endorsements and recommendations. Instead of machines deciding your fate, the people who know you best can make a case for your employment. If you’ve personally impacted someone through your work, cheered someone up or have simply proven to someone that you can be trustworthy, this can go a long way when others are
considering you for long-term employment. For Street Sense vendors who have many customers a day, some of the most loyal relationships can turn into endorsements.
Learn from others. One of the biggest challenges in job interviews is showing a company how much passion and interest you have in their work. For individuals who are digitally isolated, this may prove to be very difficult. Do you know what the company did yesterday? Do you know exactly what the company sells? Do you know what excites its employees? Social media opens the door to help you learn from others in real time. While typical job searching means don’t allow you to build human relationships with hiring managers and employees, sites like Linkedin and Twitter give you an advantage that can help you learn even more if you’re a fit.
Build a community. Going through the emotional process of a job search isn’t easy – it can sometimes take a village. Social media is predicated on just this. Through connecting with recruiters, friends, mentors and professional job tips at the click of a button, you can meet others that can help you in your job search. It costs nothing to follow someone on Twitter or send them a tweet asking for assistance. In my conversations with individuals at various social services organizations, many of them cite the lack of direct networks or lack of supportive friends and family as a huge barrier to the job search. Social media allows you to build this community from scratch regardless of your previous socioeconomic situation.
Focus on the future. If you want to leave your past behind, it may be tough to do that on a resume, one which often predicts your success based on the past. Social media allows you to illustrate your story with a clear focus on the future. If you are currently homeless and have wanted to be a teacher, a cook or a singer, here is your chance to tell your story. Even if you have 10 years of experience in a completely unrelated field, what inspires you? What made you yearn for a certain profession after years on the street? What do you want to see in a job? What would make you happy? Instead of focusing on the past, focus on your potential and highlight this across social media profiles.
Best of all – most social media applications are free services. This enables many individuals who face conventional income barriers to level the playing field. Social media allows people to be found, be visible and be connected across an impressive network of open jobs and employers. It allows people to add a human component in a process that is often marred by uncertainty. While I truly believe social media has the power to connect us as humans, I also believe it can have a huge impact on our economic independence. All it takes is one click.
