Although social media is something that is used for leisure, it has now come to affect every aspect of our daily lives. Many social media sites have started using their platforms as places to sell, advertise, and buy. This is not all, though. Social media has now become a powerful tool for recruitment. 

High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2019 has confirmed that social media is an increasingly popular method among employers for finding graduate talent. Moreover, it has been estimated that 94% of employers now use social media sites to promote vacancies. Advertising through these platforms is fast becoming the norm, as it is a fast, easy, and accessible way of advertising roles. 

If you are currently on the job hunt, here are some of the ways you should be using social media to help you get the role of your dreams. 

Create a LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn has been described as a social network for professionals. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider using LinkedIn on your job hunt. 

  • You will be able to highlight your skills: LinkedIn allows you to publish your experience, skills, and achievements as a sort of ‘virtual CV’. LinkedIn allows you to highlight each role in detail, which can prove to recruiters that you can add value to a company. Moreover, your connections will also prove your knowledge of the field. 
  • Gain exposure to hiring managers and recruiters: 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to research and recruit candidates. When your name gets put into search engines, your LinkedIn profile is often one of the first things that will come up. Your LinkedIn is often seen as an ‘online personal brand’, so if you create a well-worded, concise, and impressive profile, you will be more likely to get interviews and job offers. 
  • Has a great job board: if you are struggling to find roles you’re suitable for, LinkedIn has a job board that has thousands of roles posted onto the site. Moreover, many roles allow you to apply using your LinkedIn profile.

Use a digital CV

An online resumé can simply be a link to a professional document, or it can be laid out in the design of a website. Websites like BuzzCV not only offer professional and free CV templates but can also help you create the perfect digital CV. Here are some of the advantages of using a virtual resumé:

  • You will always have it with you: unlike regular CVs (where you would have it saved as a document on your computer or a piece of paper), online CVs allow you to show off your skills to potential employers at a moment’s notice. 
  • You want to be found on search engines: if you create a digital CV, it will rank highly if a recruiter chooses to search your name in search engines. This means that they will immediately be able to see your skills, experience, and achievements quickly, and you will be able to go into detail about everything you have done.

A digital CV can help you stand out from the crowd, as it will prove to recruiters that you have spent a dedicated amount of time creating the perfect application for each role. 

Job hunt through Facebook

Over 223 million people use Facebook in the USA alone. However, because the majority of people use this sort of social media for personal use, you might not think that it is the best place to look for a job. However, with a huge amount of active users, and the new ‘Jobs on Facebook’ feature, many employers are now using the social media site to advertise roles. 

If you want to use the website to its full advantage when you are searching for jobs, make sure you fill out the ‘work and education’ section of your profile and add any notable achievements to your ‘life events’. This way, when potential recruiters turn to your profile to see who you are, they will also be able to understand more about why you are a suitable candidate. 

When you are using your social media sites to help aid in your job hunt, you have to be very careful with what you post. You should avoid making any negative or rude comments, and don’t post anything that would be deemed unprofessional. Even if you are not necessarily using Facebook as a way of highlighting your skills and achievements, recruiters may often look at your social media profiles regardless, so you need to make sure that you keep it polished and professional. 

Find a career on Twitter

Twitter doesn’t have a built-in job feature. However, it is fast becoming a place for employers and recruiters to find passionate employees. Twitter offers a more relaxed approach to networking and recruitment. Here are some ways you can use Twitter to get the job of your dreams. 

  • Use your bio wisely: you only have 160 characters for your Twitter bio, so make sure that you use this space to introduce yourself and outline the roles you are looking for. Use this space to tag your LinkedIn profile or your digital CV.
  • Engage with others in your industry: by joining in relevant conversations, you can use Twitter to network with professionals in your field as well as share your opinion, which could get you noticed by employers. 
  • Stay up-to-date: Twitter is one of the best platforms for staying up-to-date on news, politics, and career news. If you follow the right people, your Twitter feed should be a real-time account of what’s happening in your industry. 

Conclusion

We all know the importance social media has in the 21st century. However, many people fail to realize how important social media can be when searching for a job. Use the above tips and tricks to ensure that you are using social media to your advantage.

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