7 ways to use social media for job hunting

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• email

Social media for job hunting is now a crucial part of the process. Why Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn should be your job search BFFs.

Social media can help you at every stage of job hunting. From actions to take before you apply, and tools to help you find vacancies, to tricks to help you wow at interview… here’s how to use the main platforms to land a new role today.

1. Launch a social audit

Do the comments and photos you’ve posted about yourself online reflect the type of candidate potential bosses are looking for? Many employers look at job hunters’ social media profiles before making an offer. You will want to be sure you're not publicly posting anything that could embarrass your chances.

So if you have any doubts, set your Instagram and Facebook accounts to private. Or create new work accounts to include on your CV.

2. Boost your personal brand

Via social media you can show yourself as a motivated and positive candidate who’ll be an asset to the workplace. And you can brand  yourself as someone who’s passionate about working in your chosen sector. Consider doing things like:

• Posting photos or videos of yourself at work events or on volunteering days on Facebook.
• Sharing screenshots of work samples on Twitter.
• Filming an Instagram story introducing yourself as a candidate to save on your highlights reel.

What are your interests and hobbies and the causes you believe in? Show what you’re into when you’re not working, and get comfortable sharing a behind-the-scenes peek of the real you.

3. Highlight great work

The fastest way for a potential employer to realise you’re awesome when they land on your Twitter page? Just pin an impressive tweet at the top. Think about the ideal impression you want to give any future boss, and choose a tweet to reflect this.

Depending on your sector, it could be a tweet showing your portfolio or a screenshot of a glowing testimonial you’ve received. You could also link to a blog post you’ve written with multiple retweets or likes.

4. Show you’re a job hunter

Chances are, you’re already on LinkedIn. Hopefully you’ve worked on your profile. If you need some help, read our blog: Is your LinkedIn profile helping your job hunt? You should also be following potential employers, publishing status updates and joining groups, too. We’ve covered the key steps in our blog: 6 actions for LinkedIn secret sauce.

But there’s something else. If you like the idea of sending a secret signal to recruiters that you’re looking for work, there’s also a LinkedIn feature that marks you as ‘Open to new opportunities’.

Apparently recruiters will be 50% more likely to message you with relevant job openings if you turn on this feature.

5. Become a search ninja

Twitter lists are invaluable to track down the best content and help you join in with conversations in your industry. But when it comes to finding job vacancies, being able to master Twitter’s advanced search function could prove its weight in gold.

For example, use filters to search for tweets from a specific location or from a specific account mentioning specific words (ie ‘vacancy’). Follow hashtags like #jobs or #hiring, adding in keywords specific to your area and job. Or, to get an idea of questions being asked about your sector, type this into the search bar:

-http ? “your industry keyword”

Read more on how Twitter’s advanced search function could help. 

6. Glean talking points

Many businesses now use social media to highlight their employer brand and give behind-the-scenes peeks into what life’s like at their company. So before an interview, immerse yourself in their feeds to get talking points. Maybe ask more about a charity initiative they’re supporting. Or think up relevant comments on a project they’ve posted about.

Social research might even help you answer that classic interview question: ‘Why do you want to work at this company?’

7. Prove you’re a good fit

From a hiring manager’s perspective, finding candidates who are a good fit for the company and work community is growing in importance. So a deep dive into their social media accounts can give you clues about the type of outlook and values their ideal team member will have.

Of course, it’s vital to be authentic. At HR GO, we’ve helped thousands of candidates land job offers and know that one of the secrets to winning at interviews is to be yourself.

But an insider peek into how a company does things may help you tailor how you present yourself, your interests, hobbies and your experience. And if that gives you the edge over other candidates, what’s not to like?