Social media is engrained into our daily lives, but it goes far beyond staying connected with friends, and networking with colleagues. The rise of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn has also had a major effect on how companies conduct their hiring process.
A study shows that 94% of companies now include social media as a platform for sourcing candidates in their hiring procedure. Out of that percentage, 93% use LinkedIn, 66% use Facebook, and 54% use Twitter. These figures* show that companies aren’t averse to changing with the times when it comes to their hiring process, and jobeekers must look to do the same when it comes to their job search.
Inform your social networks that you are on a job search
The great thing about social networking sites is the connections you make, not only with friends and colleagues, but like minded individuals and business acquaintances. Jobseekers should make use of their connections by informing them that they are currently conducting a job search. Let them know what type of job you are looking for, you never know, they may be able to refer you to your next position.
Take a look at your Facebook privacy settings
Although any friends or connections you have through Facebook may be able to help you in your job search, you want to make sure that you are in control of what a hiring manager, or recruiting agency, will see when they look you up. Facebook provides a robust suite of privacy settings, and as a social network focused on your personal life, there may be things that you don’t want seen by prospective employers.
Make your CV social network friendly, and publicise it through Twitter & LinkedIn
With social networking sites becoming prevalent in both the hiring, and job search processes, it’s time your CV reflected that fact. Provide clickable links in your CV to your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter profile, if you have been using it for work related matters, or posting about your field, as well as a link to your personal website or blog should you have them. Once you have added these social media links to your resume, upload and provide a link to it on your LinkedIn and Twitter profile pages, that way interested parties don’t have to go far to get the information they want.
Follow companies you want to work for on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
Companies don’t only use social media to source candidates, they also post job vacancies through their profiles on social networking sites. To capitalise on this, jobseekers should follow the social media profiles of any companies they have an interest in. This will ensure that you will be up to date on the latest opportunities these companies have to offer, and will be able to find the right job for you.
Use LinkedIn to find information about hiring managers, and their companies
With the rise in global popularity and adoption of social media, it is very likely that hiring managers of companies you are interested in will have a presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. You can use this to learn a little bit about them, and the companies they work for. You might also find that they publicise new job vacancies through their personal social media profiles, which means you will always be on top of the latest opportunities. Presence on social media applies to other employees too, not just the hiring managers, so it can be useful to connect with those working in similar positions to what you are looking for, and talk to them about life at the company, and the company culture. This will provide you with further insight into the company you want to work for.
Social media provides jobseekers with a wealth of possibilities to help turn their job search into a successful one, make sure you take advantage of every opportunity to help you land that dream job.
*Statistics sourced from Jobcast
