Let’s face it: A job search today looks very different compared to 10 years ago. Of course, there are still aggregate job sites — like Monster.com — that collect job postings from around the web. However, it’s important to understand that there’s another powerful tool you can leverage in your job search — social media.
As the world’s largest professional networking site, LinkedIn should be your first stop when you’re looking for a new position. According to Gina Belli’s article “At least 70% of jobs are not even listed — here’s how to up your chances of getting a great new gig” for Business Insider, as many as 85 percent of all jobs are filled through networking. That’s why it’s only logical that you want to start on LinkedIn where you have all of your professional contacts in one place.
Before starting your job search, make sure that your professional profile is complete and up to date. If possible, add a few endorsements. LinkedIn recommends searching for interesting positions on the Jobs page. If you find a job you like, you can review the company profile for more information. You can also reach out to people in your network to see if you have connections at the company who can refer you. Also, don’t forget to sign up for alerts for new job postings!
Facebook is another great place to look for jobs. However, since it’s first and foremost a social networking site, it’s advisable to clean up your profile by removing any images or posts that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see. In fact, it’s wise to do this anyway, since the majority of employers research candidates’ social media profiles before offering them a position.
Once you’re satisfied that your profile is up to par, you can search groups for specific keywords. For example, if you’re looking for a marketing position, search for “marketing” and check the posts in the groups to see if anyone’s talking about an open position. Groups are also good places to get to know other professionals who might hear of job opportunities. You can also check companies’ Facebook pages, since they often list job openings.
If you want to get noticed on Twitter, make sure you’re interesting from a professional point of view. Tweet about interesting articles, for example, and respond to tweets from influencers.
In addition, you can leverage hashtags — the pound sign followed by a keyword or key phrase — to your advantage. In her article titled “How Hashtags Can Help Your Job Search” for The Balance Careers, Alison Doyle explains that you can use hashtags to find all of the posts on a specific topic. For example, you can use #jobs, #jobsearch, #marketingjobs, or #NYCjobs.
Kelly Social
Finally, you can also follow Kelly Services on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Kelly Services is one of the leading talent placement agencies in the U.S. and lists numerous new job postings every day.
Leveraging social media during your job search can help you find job postings you might otherwise not hear about. And in the long run, that provides you with more opportunities — and more choice regarding the next step in your career.
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Check out this blog post and access more great career advice from Kelly®, a leading advocate for independent workers and the one that’s always asking #whatsnext for bright talent like you. https://www.kellyservices.us/us/careers/career-resource-center/managing-your-career/leverage-social-media-to-find-a-job/