Strategies to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

Strategies to Use Social Media in Your Job Search Strategies to Use Social Media in Your Job Search 1You’re a savvy job seeker. You know that while it’s fun to post your kid’s graduation photos on Facebook, it’s equally as important to keep a professional profile to attract potential hiring managers. But are you using social media in your job search, the right way? It’s estimated that a staggering 92 percent of companies are now utilizing social media as a way of finding their next new hire. Thing is, there seems to be a disconnect in the way recruiters are using social media channels to post job listings and the way that job seekers are finding that info. The study Know the Facts Improve Social Recruiting ROI from iCIMS (infographic below), a web-based employment software company, found that 51 percent of hiring managers were using the social media mega-platform Twitter to let potential employees know of job postings in 140 characters or less. Unfortunately, only a measly one percent of job candidates thought that they would find a job on Twitter. Instead, job seekers thought that the top site to find job postings was LinkedIn, which makes sense. However, only 23 percent of all jobs are posted there. After LinkedIn, people looking for work turned to Facebook and Google+. While the study found that less than 1 percent of companies are posting to the social media platform, jobs there receive nearly four times more views than any other media. Interestingly enough, social media sites Pinterest and Instagram are indeed used by job seekers, but only to gain an understanding of company culture, as opposed to finding a job. Here are some strategies to use social media in your job search. Searching for Job Openings Think about what you would like to gain when you are using social media sites. If you are looking for a job (and less competition), then it would seem that Twitter and Google+ are the way to go. And if you’re looking to find a telecommuting job, Facebook holds the highest number of conversions of people viewing a job posting and then later applying for it. Company Research If you want to find out more about a company, visually driven sites like Instagram and Pinterest would be a better use of your time. Job Scams Social media is quickly becoming one of the best ways to find out about new jobs. Still, you should be wary of job scams, which lurk in almost every social media platform. Be careful as you click and apply for your work-from-home position to ensure that you find a legitimate job that you really want. Readers, do you use social media in your job search? Are you concerned about encountering job scams on these sites? Let us know in the comments section below!