Posted July 2 2018
By Mary Palmer
You will no doubt have read numerous warnings about cleaning up your social media account when you’re looking for work (because no employer wants to trawl through your night out photos or read your indirect jabs at your ex). But did you know that social media can actually be a very useful job search tool?
More and more employers these days are taking to the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn to advertise positions that they may have available. The internet just makes it easier to network and strike up a conversation. Even if it doesn’t lead to a job, you’ll no doubt come away with some fairly invaluable advice.
So, if you fancy a change of direction, it might be a good idea to start following employers on their social media accounts to see what is out there. But be realistic about it – Netflix aren’t going to pay you to binge watch on the couch any time soon.
LinkedIn aside – they have a dedicated Jobs tab that is pretty self-explanatory – how do you make the most out of social media in order to secure your dream job?
Simple. Just follow our three easy steps.
Use Search Tools
Twitter, Facebook and Google+ all give you the ability to search posts for specific information.
For example, you can search on Twitter for the phrase "We are recruiting" in a certain location by using the Advanced Search tool. Tailor and adjust to find exactly what you are looking for. You can also follow the companies you’d like to work for to see what kind of message they are putting out.
There are also great tools like Followerwonk that can help you to find specific people. Useful, eh?
Establish Your Brand
Creating an online brand is incredibly helpful. As well as making your expertise clear, if you optimise your profiles for search engines like Google then it makes it easier for recruiters to find you. Why not start a blog about your chosen field? Check out our previous blog that has some great advice on building your online brand.
Use Your Friends
Not in a negative way, obviously, don’t post a Facebook status saying that you’re looking for work because your current role is a disaster. Discretely speak to your friends.
Here is an test run - you can run a Facebook search to find out people with a specific job title. This example uses the word Manager.
Facebook then tells you who are your friends, and who mutual friends are of those who are not your friends. You could use this to ask for introductions to people who work at the type of companies that you want to work at.