Ah, social media. For students, arguably the biggest and best procrastination tool out there. But what if we told you that social media can be used productively to help you land the job of your dreams?
If you are a student in today’s society, the likelihood that you use social media on a daily basis is pretty high. Let’s face it, sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest are some of the best ways to effectively procrastinate assignments and study. Yet believe it or not, social networking sites are slowly but surely becoming one of the most effective ways to job search and can play a huge part in landing the job of your dreams – and if you are a soon-to-be graduate, it could be your saving grace.
Although many of us tend to regard social media as our private, personal hub, there are endless ways in which potential candidates can use it to promote their work/skills/qualities and connect with potential employers. It’s a totally underrated method of finding a job – some companies even recruit through social media channels! In many ways, job hunting is becoming less about trawling through job sites in hopes of finding the one and more about networking – and that’s where social media comes in.
Here are 5 ways to use social media to get a job.
1. Use LinkedIn – and keep it up to date.
It’s no secret that LinkedIn tends to be a little less social than Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You’re (probably) not going to find many laugh-out-loud videos of cats on there – but what you will find is a plethora of industry professionals. Use LinkedIn to connect with them, with colleagues and with previous employers. As well as that, use LinkedIn as a representative of yourself, like your online CV that the world has access to. Build up your page and keep it up to date as a showcase of your professional life – as LinkedIn is fast becoming one of the most popular sites for headhunting.
2. Connect with key figures in your industry.
Using social media is the best way to follow and stay up to date with industry professionals and key figures in your field. Follow and engage with people who are working in the same field and use the opportunity to network with people you would otherwise never have had the chance to meet.
3. Keep it professional.
On these social media accounts, it’s a good idea to avoid broadcasting to the world how drunk you were last weekend. In today’s digital world, it’s a given that most companies will do a Google search on you when they receive your application and if they see something they don’t like, it could lead to rejection – especially if the position entails any kind of responsibility. Be wary of your online image and keep your reputation safe.
4. Search for vacancies.
While it’s all well and good to trawl through job sites and apply for as many jobs in your field as you can, social media is actually a great way to see what opportunities are available that may not even be advertised as such. Industry professionals may even tweet out similar job opportunities in the field. Hashtags are also a great way to stumble across job vacancies, such as #jobfairy, #jobsearch, #jobhunt and #nowhiring.
5. Be pro-active.Â
Keep yourself up to date with what’s happening in your field. Use your social media platforms to engage with, retweet and share interesting content and discussions. Then when a company carries out a Google search on you, they will be able to see your existing interest in the field and perhaps also their company in particular.
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