Social media has transformed from just for fun to a valuable job search tool. It can be used to find a job, grow your professional network, keep up to date with the latest trends in the workforce and so much more. Don’t underestimate the power of social media when it comes to your job search.
According to a Forbes article, “Facebook emerged as the clear winner for managing your professional social media presence (74%), followers by LinkedIn (56%) and Instagram (49%).”
Studies conducted have shown that ~90% of companies are using social media for hiring. Hiring managers also will use social media profiles to search for a candidate.
We are going to dive into a few tips to use these tools to your advantage!
Googling yourself is actually very useful when it comes to your job hunt. What you see is what hiring managers will see when they search your name. Make sure to Google yourself in incognito mode so browsing history doesn’t play a factor. Hiring managers will be able to find social media profiles no matter what privacy settings you have activated. Just make sure that your profiles are professional.
Keep your focus on a few social media platforms and make them strong. LinkedIn should be your top priority with it being a huge professional network for job seekers. Make sure that your contact info is up to date along with your resume. You can also turn on the setting in LinkedIn to show hiring managers you’re looking for a new job. If you have some platforms that you haven’t touched in a few years, it may be best to get rid of them.
We have so much at our fingertips with social media, so use it for research when looking for a job. If you find a company you might want to work for, look them up and dive deeper into what they’re all about. If you end up getting an interview, you will then have some knowledge of the company and be able to talk about it.
Finally, in a world of automated messages and emails, it’s best to send personalized messages. If you want to send a connection request to someone on LinkedIn, it gives a generic message but you can change and personalize that which will make your stand apart.
These are just a few tips when it comes to using social media to find a job, the possibilities are endless! Be yourself and stay true to who you are, the right company will see your potential!
Marketing Coordinator