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At first, using Facebook for job searching may seem like not a good idea. This is because this platform is primarily known for socializing, connecting with families and friends, and sharing your personal interests – not for professional purposes. Nonetheless, according to Jobvite, social media is becoming more and more relevant when it comes to job search. In fact, one of their studies revealed that 67% of job seekers use Facebook to find their next role, making it the second most popular social network for recruiters.
In 2017, Facebook launched its own job board that features job posts from companies across more than 40 countries. The platform allows you to apply directly to these listings using only your profile. While there are various opportunities, finding and landing a job using Facebook is not a piece of cake. If you take your job search seriously through the platform, you need to follow effective steps to get the best results. Let us share with you some tips to maximize your job search on Facebook, even if you don’t intend to use its particular job board.
1. Make sure your profile is complete, updated, and relevant
Facebook lets you use your profile when you apply to any vacancies through its job board. Hence, ensuring that it is completely filled out with relevant details is imperative. Facebook’s ‘About’ section allows you to list your career information and sell your industry expertise, skills, and unique characteristics. It also has an introduction space that works similarly to a LinkedIn headline. Treat this part as your personal branding opportunity that you would want everyone looking at your profile to know about you first. However, it only has a 100-character limit, so make sure to make it count.
You don’t have to make everything professional. You can still share personal details or photos of your day-to-day activities. However, keep in mind that even if you don’t intend to use Facebook’s job board, various recruiters use the platform to find candidates or research their potential employees. So, if you are eager to land a job through Facebook, make sure your profile puts you in the best possible light.
2. Follow your target company’s Facebook page
More than 200 million businesses are using Facebook to share a lot of updates about their companies, including recent projects, development, or job openings. So, if you have a few companies in mind where you really want to work, make sure to follow their Facebook pages. In addition to staying in the loop on the latest opportunities, this can help you better understand their values and culture, the type of work they do, and how they treat their people. Consequently, allowing you to assess whether or not the company is a perfect fit for you.
3. Join relevant groups
Facebook group is a place where you can communicate with certain people about particular topics or shared interests. So, in addition to using the platform’s job board, we suggest exploring and joining groups that discuss topics relevant to your job profile. Doing so can also help you identify and form valuable connections that can give you access or referrals to various opportunities.
To build an effective network, make sure to add value to groups. This can be done by engaging in or starting a conversation, commenting on posts seeking advice, asking questions, or requesting help with your job search. Above all else, remember to aim for groups with meaningful information and avoid those that aren’t active or helpful.
Facebook is indeed a place to post photos of your most recent vacation, family picnics, and favorite pets. However, if you consider Facebook as part of your job search strategy, it is useful to ask yourself, “What would you want potential employers to see on your profile?” While sharing personal stuff is not wrong, displaying your professional side can be more beneficial for you. One of the best ways to do this is to share insightful posts, existing content relevant to you and your professional contacts, or the latest updates on your job hunt. To maintain your personal brand, avoid posting work-related rants, discriminatory comments, and everything that would hurt a recruiter’s first impression of you.
Furthermore, we recommend taking some time to check your privacy settings before posting. Remember, employers will only see information that is posted publicly. So, it is imperative to ensure that your posts are viewable only to people you want to see them.
5. Categorize your friends
You might be having hundreds or even thousands of Facebook friends, including family, close friends, coworkers, or acquaintances. However, not all of them are relevant to your job search efforts. Hence, we suggest categorizing your friends, and separating your professional contacts from personal ones. This way, you can easily determine who among them can really help you in finding your dream job. In addition, this allows you to target your work-related status updates. For example, if you want to share something related to your career goals, you can opt to share it only with your professional friend list.
Facebook is still seen as a rather unconventional tool to use for job searching. However, with millions of companies currently using this platform for a variety of business reasons, it is definitely worth a shot. So, keep in mind the tips we’ve shared in this article to help you get started on your job search journey using Facebook.
