Social Media And Job Searching: A Guide To What You Should Know

Finding your dream job is something that thousands worldwide grow up thinking about. Regardless of the occupation or career path you wish to follow, achieving this is a life goal for many people and is something that should be celebrated upon completion. 

At the same time, it is worth recognising the sheer time and effort that goes into getting a dream job. It is no walk in the park and does not happen overnight. From the first planning stage through to applying for job applications in masses, plenty of thought goes into something like this. 

While there are undoubtedly different stages and factors to consider when applying for jobs, it is worth thinking about where and how you can use them to boost your efforts. Social media, is without a doubt, one of the most useful tools of the century. 

Developing throughout recent decades, social media is something that we use on a day-to-day basis, both in our personal and professional lives. As this is the case, it is worth establishing whether there is a link between the two and a cause to use it in your job-seeking efforts. 

Detailed below, you will find a bit about what you should know about the use of social media in your job search. Understand better what you should post publicly and what you should avoid altogether. 

This is something we feel confident that most people are already doing. With an estimated fifty-three million active users on social media in the UK alone, it is easy to see how this could prove a useful tool in your job search. As there are that many people out there, you are sure to find employment opportunities aplenty, but how do you go about finding the right people and reaching out to them?

Generally speaking, this is something that is easier said than done; biting the bullet to reach out to someone about a job offer or employment can be anxiety-inducing. Experiencing emotions like these are understandable when in this situation. That being said, you should do what you can to put them to one side, for the benefits of using social media in your job search often outweigh the cons. 

Having accounts on various social media platforms is recommended. This will allow you to reach a wider variety of people, opening more doors along the way. While the likes of Facebook and Instagram are more relaxed, LinkedIn is more professional and is used by businessmen and women the world over. These LinkedIn profile tips will help you get your own profile up to scratch and ensure you are standing out from the crowd. 

Keeping your profiles updated is important; you do not want potential employers reading over outdated and obsolete information. Profile pictures will also help the hiring manager put a name to a face and make the process more personable in a world dominated by technology. 

Nothing stops you from using your personal social media accounts for job searching, but it is worth considering what content you have on there too. You don’t want to be giving the wrong impression or message to your prospective employers. This takes us to the following section.

While many of us are mindful about what we post on social media anyway, this is all the more important when wanting to get a job. It is worth noting that even if you are not using your social media to look or apply for jobs, many businesses in this day and age will do some sort of social media profile screening. As a result, you will want to be careful about what you are posting online.

Should you have embarrassing photos on your social media account, consider putting them into a private folder or deleting them entirely. At the same time, any previous statuses or tweets on your accounts should be checked – the last thing you want is to come across as someone with extreme views on topics, for most companies will not want someone like this working for them. After all, you will be representing the company brand when hired, and the business will want the best of the best at the face of their brand. 

Making these changes to your social media profiles before going on your job search will ensure you do not lose out based on this. Should you be worried about your profiles, put them on private and create different accounts purely for your professional life. Ask any family members and friends to remove tags in photos and respect the changes you are making for your career. 

Engaging In Conversation 

Social media platforms enable their users to engage in discourse and conversation with both people they know and those they don’t. Understandably, this could lead to some disagreements happening in the echo chambers but also provide a great opportunity for individuals to network.

Particularly if you are interested in the work that a specific company does and want to work for them, striking up conversation and discourse with them surrounding this will go a long way. It could even open up an employment opportunity for you. 

Engaging with businesses and individuals on your social media platforms is one way to differentiate where the opportunities lie and gain insight and suggestions on what you should do to land one of these opportunities yourself. LinkedIn has a specific section on its platform dedicated to job openings and opportunities. At the same time, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts are often used to announce a job opening rather than listing the details surrounding it.

Checking these pages regularly while also engaging in conversation with hiring managers will further boost your job search and increase your network at the same time. As the saying goes, it is often who you know that pays off rather than what you know. 

If you are set on using your personal social media accounts in your job search, you want to ensure that the recruiters and hiring managers know it is you. On Facebook alone, there are an estimated ninety million fake social media accounts in the world. You want to ensure that your social media profiles look personal and real and that you are the person behind the profile.

At the same time, it is worth considering whether you will be using just one social media platform for your job hunt or using multiple in tandem with one another. Should you opt for the latter in this circumstance, you should make an effort to ensure there is consistency across your social media profiles. Linking closely with what we mentioned in the paragraph above, having consistency across your profiles will help the hiring managers determine that it is a real profile and ensure your profile is not flagged by the social media platform itself. 

While this piece has been packed with a lot of information, we hope it has proven interesting and insightful for you. Finding a job is no easy feat; anyone will tell you that. Going forth with this knowledge should boost your efforts, and you will find yourself in a dream job in no time!