What started as a platform for connecting with friends and sharing personal content has now become a space to connect with employers and share your professional story. Yes – I’m talking about Facebook, LinkedIn and even Instagram! If you don’t believe me, just take a look at Brilliant’s Q2 2018 Hiring Forecast, where 57 percent of hiring managers, seeking accounting and finance professionals, reported using social media for job advertising and recruiting.
To all of you job seekers out there – it’s safe to say that now is the time to take advantage of the social media job searching and find your next opportunity! Besides, you’re likely spending a lot of time on the social channels already – making you a step ahead in the job search process.
Below is a list of social media channels that I recommend utilizing. I’ll explain how to use them in order to best conduct your job search. Check out How to Maximize your Job Search with these 3 Social Media Channels below!
1. LinkedIn
The No. 1 professional social network currently has more the 530 million users, however, not everyone knows how to use it to their advantage. The first step to maximizing your LinkedIn experience is to optimize your profile, which includes publishing a professional headshot of yourself, listing your previous and current work experience, acquiring credible endorsements and sharing your story through your profile. Completing this step will increase the chances of your profile being found, viewed and connected with by other users – especially those who might be hiring.
The next step is to network! Connect with your friends, family, role models, alumni, and past and present colleagues – you never know which connections can lead you toward an exciting opportunity! Once you have built strong connections, open the line of communication with your network by engaging on their shared content, “liking” their job status update and even messaging them about your shared ideas. This is the best way to build your professional relationships.
The same can be said about joining LinkedIn groups. This is a great space to start professional conversation, learn more about topics you’re interested in and an even better way to network with individuals who share the same interests as you.
Once you have built your profile and network on LinkedIn, you can begin to seek opportunities by navigating through the various job postings that correspond to your industry. Keep an eye on the search results you come across – they will show you some of your connections that can possibly refer you for open positions or even alumni from your school who work at a company you’re looking into.
The opportunities are truly endless once you master your LinkedIn network!
2. Facebook
While LinkedIn is the No. 1 professional social network, Facebook is the No. 1 social platform – period. There are more than 2 billion users globally. Just think about how many people that is. It’s no wonder that Facebook has increasingly become more useful for job seekers and employers. With their new area of the site called “Jobs on Facebook,” employers can post jobs as advertisements, and users can browse and apply for them in the matter of minutes.
Although the job advertisements have allowed Facebook to gain professional-social recognition, the greatest benefit of Facebook when it comes to job searching is the ability to communicate with fellow Facebook friends and seek advice, information or even opportunities that you’re interested in. Most Facebook friends tend to have closer relationships than LinkedIn connections, which some find as an advantage when publicly asking for advice.
Because Facebook is often used as a personal social media channel, be careful when using it professionally – especially if you’re currently employed and seeking jobs.
3. Instagram
Although Instagram (acquired by Facebook in 2012) doesn’t have any job search functions, it serves a unique, yet important purpose. Many companies use Instagram to promote their brand, tell their story, and give the audience a taste of their team and culture. For job seekers, this is an innovative way to gather information and insight on a company – especially before an interview. It’s also a great way to start conversation during an interview, when looking for more detail on the personality of the company. Employers will appreciate, not only your efforts to look up the company, but your focus and interest in the company’s vision and internal culture.
These aren’t the only social media platforms that can help maximize your job search. Do you use any other social media platforms for job searching? Comment below!
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