How to use social media to help with your job search?

Today’s online social world has changed the way recruiters look for the right candidates, which means it is a great starting point when looking for a new job. It is also common for businesses and organisations to post job vacancies to their social networks. Using social media as part of your job searching strategy can help you secure the job you want!

Here is some advice and information to help you get started on your social job search.

Clean up your profiles

The most important thing to do before you start your job search using social media is to clean up your profiles. Ask yourself the question: Do I want a future employer to see this tweet, status or picture? Remove any visible party pics and any articles or memes that can be considered as politically divisive.

LinkedIn

If you do not have LinkedIn, now will be a great time to join. People refer to LinkedIn as an online CV which can help you get noticed. This network is actively used by recruiters and businesses to find potential candidates.

It is important that you keep your profile up to date; join groups and get connecting with people; you can also search for live vacancies with thousands of listings from a variety of sectors. Add to your profile that you are actively looking for work, which will prompt recruiters to get in touch with you.

Twitter

When using Twitter in your job search, be professional. Make sure you have your LinkedIn
profile in your bio with a professional picture. Use the social network to follow companies you would
like to work for; keep up to date with industry news; and search for jobs. You can also follow recruiters, get involved in professional discussions and retweet information about topics related to your industry. Each day, search for key terms related to the job you would like, such as ‘jobs in Lancashire’, ‘care support work’ or ‘customer service job’ – this will show you a variety of tweets with these words in, potentially your next job!


Using social networks to look for employment will increase your visibility to potential employers. It opens another channel of finding work and gives you the advantage over those who are not actively searching on social sites. You can now even search for vacancies on Facebook, but remember to change your profile privacy settings before doing so!

If you would like further support, information and advice to help you with your job search sign up for a FREE short course that can help you find employment or retrain. Click here to browse our courses.  

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