Wonderful – you’re a Millennial or Gen Z, and you know all about social media – you announced your birth via Twitter and had a LinkedIn profile before you turned twelve. You know your way blindfolded through the social media maze, but are you taking advantage of your prowess to boost your career? What about industry groups? Industry groups are a fantastic way to connect with people in your field and build a deep, rather than wide, network. They provide an opportunity to build your knowledge and enhance your career persona. Connecting with an industry group – providing you take the time to share pertinent information – will often open doors to bigger and better opportunities. Within the precision manufacturing industry, two stellar local groups are:

• Minnesota Precision Manufacturer Association (MPMA)
• Manufacturers Alliance (MFRALL)

  But don’t limit your groups to ones totally connected to your specific field. Finding groups with some connections, yet different industries will ultimately round out your professional reputation and increase your networking opportunities. LinkedIn is a hotspot for building connections to industry-specific groups. Browse through groups. Do they have members who share your interests? Request an invitation from groups who are active.  When you join, take the time to listen and learn before posting a link to your site. Respond with positive feedback when an article or post is especially helpful. Once you established connections, then it’s important to share pertinent articles and offer relevant knowledge and insight on topics of discussion. So, now you’re connected to groups – go networking The bottom line of networking is relationship building. It’s not about adding more and more names to your contacts – it’s about discovering the people behind the names. And it’s always a two-way street. Don’t expect people to do all the giving – give first and give back. Exchange the “what’s in it for me” attitude for transparent, genuine giving of yourself, your knowledge, your connections. Don’t limit your network to people within your career industry. Connect with others who love the same hobbies or share the same volunteer interests. These relationships often lead to open doors professionally. Do it all with professional confidence  The emphasis being on both professional and confidence. The best way to build confidence is to be professional. Building a solid reputation will boost your visibility and attract positive attention. It will give you the confidence to speak up about what and who you know. But how do you do it? Complete your profiles – they were created for that reason.

• Twitter invites users to share a 160-character bio – short, sweet, and sassy, with relevant hashtags and a link to your blog or portfolio.
• Facebook’s about section is the place to share information on likes, dislikes, fun facts, favorite books, etc. Remember, though, if this is your professional connection, a Facebook page tied to your business email, then it’s not the place for are those professional no no’s. Keep it clean. Keep it aligned with your professional appearance.
• LinkedIn, the ideal place for an in-depth professional profile. Keep it concise and to the point, but cover it all. This means awards, academic achievements, work experience, specific skills, as well as volunteer work, civic organizations, boards you served on, etc. Substantiate your credibility by including links to work samples, and a portfolio of documents, links, videos, or presentations. Of course, earning endorsements and recommendations from colleagues always helps.

  Make your social media work for you. Create a professional profile and be engaging. Think before you post. Stay away from religious, political, and sexual content on your profile. Manage your connections. If you don’t know them, they shouldn’t be part of your network. If you do know them, but their posts/comments can hurt your profile, break the connection. Taking the time to make the most of your social media can help you make the most of your career. Ok – so now you’re the social media expert, but you still want to grow professionally. You’ve come to the right place. For more than 20 years, MPS Technical has been connecting the best of the workforce – from entry level to management – with the best precision manufacturing companies in Minnesota and Wisconsin. From temporary jobs to long-term employment, we are passionate about matching our candidates with the best position for them within the best company for them. Contact us today for a forward step in your career dreams.