Using Social Media for Job Searching: A Comprehensive Guide

According to a recent study, 92% of employers use social media as part of their hiring tactics. With this rating, we can see that social media has become integral not only to our personal lives but also to a candidate’s job search journey. In fact, a survey by Clutch revealed that more than one in ten new hires found their current job through social media. In a nutshell, social media has now become a powerful job search tool, and having a strong online presence could be the key to landing your dream role. In this article, we will share a step-by-step guide on how you can use such platforms to benefit your career.

Benefits of Using Social Media for Job Searching

In recent years, the role of social media has become bigger when it comes to job searching. They have proven that their purpose is not limited to socializing anymore. However, as not all people are convinced, the power of these platforms is still underestimated in most cases. If you are one of those still in doubt, let us give you some good benefits of using social media in your job search.

• It enables you to demonstrate your personal brand to better market yourself and your career expertise.
• It connects you with invaluable people to expand your professional network.
• It helps you boost your visibility and searchability, allowing you to get found by potential employers easily.
• It gives you access to the hidden job market and other opportunities through your connections.
• It serves as a great research tool to learn more about your target industry or a company’s values and culture.

Best Social Media Tools

There are a variety of social media platforms that are becoming available today. However, not all of them are suitable for the purpose of finding you a great opportunity. So, to make it easy for you to choose which one is the best, we will provide you with a list of the top six social media sites you can use for job searching. These platforms are considered to be the best in terms of their capacity to help build your brand, network, and online presence, which are key to a successful job search and career building. Let us give you an overview of what these platforms have to offer. 

1. LinkedIn

With over 57 million registered companies, LinkedIn is considered to be on top of the most popular social media platforms candidates use to hunt for their dream roles. Apart from providing millions of job opportunities, it also serves as an excellent professional networking tool. You can connect with more than 800 million members worldwide to build invaluable relationships and expand your network. This is one of the best ways to gain wider access to more opportunities.

2. Facebook

Most people believe that Facebook isn’t an appropriate place to do business and career-related stuff. However, the platform now has more to offer in terms of job searching since its official launch in 2004. It now provides a job board that lists hundreds of opportunities from companies across more than 40 countries. As more and more companies and recruiters use Facebook to source talents, about 67% of job seekers are now using it to search for their next job. In addition, it is also a perfect tool to build connections with its more than one billion active users globally.

3. Instagram

According to a 2020 study, 37% of recruiters use Instagram on their recruitment process, which is 19% higher than in 2017. Instagram might not have a job board. However, as the seventh most visited website in the world, it is a perfect tool to establish your personal brand. It allows potential employers to learn more about you and determine if you’re a good fit for their open position. You can also follow companies, recruiters, influencers, and key players in your field. Doing so enables you to stay updated with industry news and vacancies that might interest you.

4. Twitter

With more than 206 million active users worldwide, Twitter is another powerful networking tool and resource for connecting with potential employers, recruiters, and industry experts. Following their accounts allows you to get the latest information about job vacancies, industry trends, and news. Twitter also has an innovative search feature that helps you find tweets about new open positions. You can use hashtags related to your field of interest to uncover these opportunities. In addition, you can also take advantage of its ‘TweetMyJobs’ function, where you can sign up for job alerts to receive automatic updates about current job postings. 

5. Pinterest

Pinterest does not have an extensive job board of open positions or a reputation for professional networking. However, you can use it to develop your personal brand, create a visual representation of your resume or build a creative portfolio that you can easily share with potential employers during your application. You can also find photos, articles, and boards related to job searching. As a matter of fact, many companies and job search sites, such as FlexJobs and CareerBliss, use Pinterest. You can follow their accounts to help you discover job opportunities.

6. YouTube

Using YouTube as part of your job search strategy allows you to demonstrate your creativity. You can create a video resume to complement your traditional resume and give potential employers a personal introduction of your experience and skills. To sell yourself better, you can also build a portfolio that showcases your most notable achievements. Apart from these, YouTube offers valuable resources, such as job search-related tips and advice in the form of videos to make your job hunting a little bit easier.

General Tips on Using Social Media for Job Searching

Creating an account on one or more social media sites listed above may seem like an easy and straightforward task. However, ensuring that your profile can give you the best possible results you are expecting is the trickiest part. So, in this section, we will discuss some effective tips for using social media to maximize your chances of landing the job you love.

1. Set up a complete profile

A complete social media profile is imperative to ensure you can be found by potential employers easily. First off, choose your screen name carefully – as much as possible, use your real name. If you often go by a nickname or have a common name, you may use them as well. Secondly, choose the right photo for your profile picture. Make sure it is not too formal or casual and showcases the right level of professionalism.

To make it easy for your target audience to recognize you, we highly suggest using a similar profile photo and name spelled in the same way across all platforms you intend to use for your job search. This is also a great way for them to remember you. Then, fill out all the important sections of your profile with your up-to-date information. While not all platforms have a field where you can add your professional experience, make sure to take advantage of this in those that allow you to include these details, such as LinkedIn. Add your most recent and relevant experiences, including your notable successes, to showcase the value you can bring to the table.

2. Maintain a consistent brand

Your personal brand is a critical tool to finding the right job and staying relevant in your career. It also showcases who you truly are and what you’re capable of achieving based on your unique skills, talents, and personality traits. Hence, it is important to stick to your defined persona and maintain a consistent brand to cultivate trust among your target audience.

Consistency goes far beyond using a consistent name, photo, and information. It can also be about focusing on the same mission and niche or using similar language across all your social media platforms. This can involve ensuring that your content and ideas and how you present them remain consistent with your brand’s voice. This way, you can be seen as someone trustworthy, memorable, and goal-oriented, allowing you to establish a positive reputation for yourself, both personally and professionally.

3. Expand your professional network

According to CNBC’s research, 80% of jobs are found and filled through professional connections and referrals. In relation to this, another study revealed that most recruiters considered employee referrals the best talent source. This is because they come with a variety of advantages, including hiring cost reduction, increased employee retention rates, and higher quality hires, among others. Hence, most recruiters prefer filling open positions this way. So, make sure to maximize the power of social media to network with the right people to discover the vast majority of opportunities.

There are various effective ways to connect with relevant people to grow your network. But simply clicking the ‘Like’, ‘Follow’ or ‘Connect’ button and considering yourself done won’t do you any favor. Instead, send personalized messages whenever you reach out to someone you would like to connect with. This way, you can give some context as to why you are reaching out, increasing your chances of receiving a response.

However, before asking for any help, you must think about ways of how you can add value to them first. For instance, you can demonstrate your genuine interest in helping them by offering your expertise. Doing so allows you to build trust and stronger relationships that can benefit you in the long term.

4. Join relevant groups

Social media groups are great places to meet and engage with industry leaders and like-minded people in a more natural way. Joining such groups allows you to give insightful comments and participate in discussions. You can also share articles and post content relevant to your areas of expertise to establish yourself as a thought leader. This is also an effective way to get discovered by potential connections that can give you access to opportunities.

In some cases, other group members use the group page to post job vacancies and announcements about relevant events where you can participate as well. Hence, we strongly recommend for you become an active participant so you won’t miss out on any opportunities. Always be engaged and proactive in your communication to increase your chances of getting noticed and making a lasting impression.

5. Follow your target employer’s social media page

The majority of companies, from small businesses to large corporations, are on social media for a variety of business-related reasons. In fact, some of them have specific social media accounts or group pages dedicated to their hiring initiatives. So, to stay updated with the latest job openings, make sure to locate and follow these accounts aside from the company’s main profile.

Following the accounts of your target companies allows you to better understand their mission, values, and culture. This can help you assess their reputation as potential employers and make well-informed decisions before pursuing an application. In addition, you can also take advantage of this to actively engage with them. 

One effective way to engage is by consistently liking or commenting insightfully on their posts. You can likewise share their content to be seen by a wider audience. Doing so can go a long way to showcasing your interest and enthusiasm for helping the company, allowing you to make a positive impression.

6. Share posts on relevant topics

Posting personal stuff on your social media accounts is highly acceptable and not wrong. However, if you consider these profiles part of your job search strategy, posting and sharing relevant content that shows your professionalism and areas of expertise can give you more advantages.  You can create original content to post or share existing one that is relevant to your audience with some context from your end. Providing your take on things through your own personal or professional views, knowledge, and insight can help you be seen as a thought leader. Thereby, allowing you to establish a stronger brand.

Above all else, always remember to be mindful about what you post. Avoid posting offensive content, long rants, discriminatory comments, or anything similar that might contradict the brand that you are trying to build and maintain. Stay professional while still showcasing your unique and interesting personality. This will allow potential employers to see that you are not only capable but also well-rounded and likable.

7. Build creative online portfolios

Creating online portfolios that showcase your relevant experience and notable achievements is one great way of maximizing social media’s potential. YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram are some of the best platforms you can use to impress employers with your best work and creativity. You can create short videos, blogs or online infographics that will entice your target audience to learn more about you.

Landing a job through social media can be tough and won’t be an overnight success. It takes some clever strategies, and creating and maintaining updated accounts is just the beginning of the process. Nonetheless, whatever platforms you decide to use, we suggest taking advantage of the tips in this article to maximize social media’s potential when it comes to job searching. This will help you establish your personal brand, identify great opportunities, and progress in your career.