Tips to Utilize Social Media in Your Job Search/Career

Whether you’re searching for a new job or simply looking to get ahead in your current career, social media can be an invaluable resource. From networking and research to advertising and market exposure, there are a multitude of social media platforms with tools you can use to help you achieve your goals. Set yourself up for success with these helpful tips for utilizing social media in your job search/career.

Networking

Outside of facilitating the creation and sharing of content, the main function of social media is to connect users with other individuals, communities, and/or groups—aka, social networking. As the old saying goes, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” when speaking in terms of achieving professional success. With over 247 million Americans using social media as of 2019, and more than 3.5 billion users worldwide, it is easier than ever before to connect with people occupying every position within every profession in all parts of the world.

LinkedIn is an obvious choice for business networking, but even the more content-driven platforms like Instagram and Twitter can still provide excellent opportunities to make new professional connections. A great way to find potential contacts is to search for relevant hashtags and locations within the app of your choice.

If you have a company in mind, you’re interested in working for, you could simply search for the name of the business, and find content posted from people that work there. But don’t limit yourself to just seeking out the most obvious terms—try searching for specific job titles or even tags using jargon exclusive to your industry. Then, all you have to do is find someone you think you might interact well with and send them a message. If you feel uncomfortable contacting someone in such a casual manner, you could always find the person on LinkedIn and initiate a connection in what is considered to be a slightly more professional setting.

Ultimately, whether you join a group for architects on Facebook, or get heavily involved in a professional community on Reddit, the main idea here is that you shouldn’t limit yourself to in-person events or career-oriented platforms when attempting to expand your network.

Research
 

Researching a potential employer or hiring manager or explore a new career path is another great way to take advantage of social media. From preparing for an interview to figuring out how to market your own business more effectively, social media provides a vast source of helpful information.

Let’s say you’ve recently been contacted by a hiring manager and have set up an initial phone interview. If you want to make a good first impression, you need to come to the call prepared. Utilize social media to research the culture of the company, the types of people they tend to hire, and even the specific person with whom you’ll be speaking.

Not only can you find employee reviews about the company on sites like Glassdoor, or details about the interview process directly from an employee you contacted through social networking—you can also find information about your interviewer which can help you establish a good rapport, while informing your responses to questions during your conversation. It may feel odd to dig up other’s personal information, but you can safely bet that they will be reviewing your social media as well.

Self-promotion

Self-promotion is possibly the best way to utilize social media in your job search/career. While it’s important, sharing your resumé isn’t the only path to promoting yourself professionally online. Establishing yourself as an expert or authority within your field of work is a great way to grab people’s attention—plus, you won’t have to search for a job very long if employers find you first.

One way of accomplishing this task is to regularly share articles or insightful information relevant to your industry on all your social media platforms. Just remember to use hashtags which will steer those outside your network to the content your sharing. Not only does this help keep you at the forefront of other’s minds, it can also open up a plethora of new career opportunities.

Another option is to consistently engage with other industry professionals online. Whether through retweeting, tagging other users in your own posts, or simply “liking” someone else’s content, interacting with others will help keep you connected within your professional community. When you take the time to build your reputation on social media, not only will you seem more credible to potential clients, but you’ll appear more qualified to potential employers.

Ultimately, the number of ways you can use social media is only limited by your imagination. These platforms provide access to almost limitless information and countless opportunities to further your career.