TikTok is one of the biggest and most popular social media platforms right now. It is undeniable that the platform’s focus on short-form videos has made it a hit, particularly with younger audiences. And just like other social media platforms, you can use TikTok for professional needs. More specifically, it is a good place to share your portfolio and connect with potential employers. Read on the learn more about how you can use TikTok for portfolio promotion or to land a job.
1. Know how to use TikTok for portfolio promotion.
First and foremost, you need to understand how TikTok works and know how to use it correctly. TikTok relies on an algorithm to deliver personalized content and show specific videos to specific users. Moreover, even new accounts could reach a big audience thanks to the way the platform’s algorithms work.
Most importantly, when you sign up and set up your profile, you need to be setting it all up with your end goal in mind – that is, connecting with potential employers. When you upload your first videos, they will already need to be well-made. TikTok will show them to a group of users, and if the response from those people is good, it will show your video to more people, so it’s in your best interest to start strong.
This is a basic breakdown of the way TikTok works when it comes to new users. Of course, the more people see your videos, the more chances you have of connecting with someone who could become your employer. This is why you should always aim to create a high-quality video that will be pushed by TikTok after the first group of people responds to it positively.
2. Identify your target audience.
One of the most important things you need to figure out before you even register on TikTok is your target audience. You can’t tell TikTok who this is in your settings, but identifying your target audience will help you create the kinds of videos that your audience will be most interested in.
You already know that you want potential employers to see your work and get in touch with you. But who are these people? What industries do they work in? Do they work for big or small companies? Or are they independent professionals? What kind of work would they request from you (if you offer a variety of products or services)? You should also try to put yourself in these people’s shoes and consider what kind of content will they consume. What are their interests, passions, motivations, etc?
In addition to employers, you will also benefit from attention from general users. When you use TikTok for portfolio promotion to present yourself in an appealing way, more regular users will get interested in it which will, in turn, lead to your videos being discovered by more potential employers.
3. Plan out your strategy for TikTok portfolio promotion.
Speaking of your portfolio, you need to think about what your portfolio of work will look like. Take some time to plan it out while also planning what your TikTok promotional strategy will be. It’s a good idea to start with the strategy to determine what your intent and tactics will be and then use that to frame your content production If you don’t know where to start or how to do this yourself, you can hire a professional writer from the writing services site, Best Essays Education who will help you with the planning. Essentially, you will need to decide:
- What will be included in your portfolio – Determine this based on the kind of work you do. For example, you could be selling completed paintings and also offering painting services.
- How you will make your videos – Decide the style and tone for your videos as well as whether you will appear on camera and whether you will use narration or on-screen text and video instead.
- How you want employers to contact you – You can include your contact details at the end of your videos (e.g. username, email, phone number, etc.) You can also include contact information in your profile bio.
- Whether you will use additional promotional methods – Besides TikTok, you could be using other social media platforms to promote your portfolio.
4. Create your portfolio and start posting.
Now that you are done with all the planning, you can actually start creating your portfolio, making videos, and uploading them on TikTok. Keep in mind that if you still don’t have your actual portfolio ready (i.e. examples of your work to show which products or services you are offering), then it’s about time to put it together.
Once your portfolio is ready, you can get it on camera and create videos that clearly show what kind of work you do. Follow the plan you made beforehand and try to be consistent with all your videos in terms of format, quality, style, and so on.
TikTok, like some other social media platforms, likes consistency and frequency. Try to have enough content ready to go so you can have a regular posting cadence and stay ahead of the game with your content.
5. Find like-minded professionals.
Besides regular users and potential employers, there will be people just like you on TikTok. These could be professionals in the same or similar field as you who might reach out to make a professional connection or simply express their admiration for your work. You can, surely, try anything out of your habitual area, like engineering platforms such as FSExpert or agricultural professionals like Bayer or even more distant. Everything depends on you.
Finding and connecting with such like-minded professionals will be quite valuable for you because it could ultimately help you advance your career. These people might know someone who would be interested in hiring you, so try to find more people like yourself on TikTok.
Be proactive about this part. Don’t wait for people to come to you. Instead, engage with profiles you connect with and take the first step in building that network.
6. Connect with potential employers.
If you are doing everything correctly and TikTok is showing your videos to a large audience, you are bound to meet someone who could be a potential employer. They will either get in touch with you on TikTok or through a different communication channel you listed in your videos (e.g. email).
Make sure that you are ready to start communicating with them when they get in touch with you. You could create a plan or checklist for yourself with all the points you want to discuss with a potential employer. You can also hire an experienced writer from the custom writing site Trust My Paper to create email and text message templates for you.
Keep in mind that there could be some people contacting you who are actually scammers and have no intention of hiring and paying you. Be careful, know your rights, and always insist on your own terms.
7. Get the job after the screening.
Most employers won’t hire you right away simply based on your portfolio, so you need to be prepared to go through their screening process. If you ace that, you’re in with a good shot at getting the job. Here are some tips to follow:
- Be yourself but stay professional at all times.
- Show your positive sides and present the best version of yourself.
- Take your screening tasks and assignments seriously.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the things you don’t understand.
- Even if you don’t get the job, leave a good impression.
8. Continue promoting yourself.
Last but not least, once you have found a job thanks to your TikTok portfolio promotion, it doesn’t mean you should stop promoting yourself. This is particularly important for someone freelance who works on a project-basis rather than signing long-term contracts with employers.
You never know when another more exciting opportunity may present itself. It’s also possible you could lose the job you have, so it’s worth continuing to use TikTok for portfolio promotion, along with other platforms. As a creative or freelancer, it’s also important to maintain a constant stream of self-promotion. As you build your brand and your audience more leads will come your way. If you don’t have a lot of time to be creating content for multiple platforms, you can simply adapt or reuse the videos you make for TikTok on other platforms (e.g. Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts).
Using TikTok effectively.
All in all, using TikTok for portfolio promotion and find a job is definitely possible if you do it right. Use the tips and tactics in this article to help you master TikTok and connect with potential employers through the platform.
About the author:
Anna Medina likes writing from her university years. When she graduated from the Interpreters Department, she realized that translation was not as interesting as writing. She trains her skills now working as a freelance writer on various topics, always working to produce her best work in the posts and articles she writes. Connect with Anna on Twitter @AnnaMed22853631 or LinkedIn anna-medina899
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