Never has social media been such an intrinsic part of our daily lives, and while it’s great for sharing memes with our friends, the latest Tiktok trends or simply mindlessly scrolling, have you ever thought about using social media to find a job?
It’s not surprising that recruiters are increasingly utilising social media to find the perfect match for their vacancies – a recent survey by Meltwater and We Are Social found that there are 57.10 million people active on social media in the UK. Read on to find out more about how to use social media for business and how it can help you land your dream job; and most importantly, how you can optimise your social media pages to grab the attention of a recruiter.
Make yourself visible and showcase your skills
With 91% of employers using social media for the recruitment process, it’s vital that you’ve got a good handle on your online presence and persona across all social media if you’re actively applying for jobs.
Set up a LinkedIn account to list your skills and experience and make sure it matches the information that you are applying for jobs with. Ask past colleagues for recommendations, find and connect with people in your industry or field and follow companies that you would love to work at. Linkedin also has a feature that allows you to update your network if you are looking for work or a new role!
If you’re looking for a job in a creative industry then creating an online portfolio or website is a great way to showcase your talent and previous work. If your work is primarily visual then you could always set up a dedicated Instagram account to easily display this.
Although Twitter might not seem like the obvious place to lay the foundations for a career, it offers a more relaxed space to talk about your passions, engage with others in your industry and keep up to date with real-time current affairs, news and updates from any companies you might particularly admire. Get creative with an intriguing bio and link your portfolio, website or Linkedin profile in your bio.
Check your online profiles
While it’s a good idea to make yourself visible on social media, it only works if you think that recruiters are going to like what they see. It’s now very common for recruiters or employers to give potential candidates names a quick Google, so if there’s anything you’ve ever published online that could paint you in a bad light then it’s a good idea to remove it. If you don’t want potential employers to see your social media accounts, make sure you change your privacy settings to reflect this. Alternatively, if you want to make it easier for recruiters or employers to find you then make sure you have the same username across all social media accounts.
Network
As the saying goes, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” – and there’s no better place to network than on social media. Spend time building your contacts and connections, and engaging with those that might be influential in your industry, and you might find that if people hear about jobs that you’d be suitable for they will reach out to you or even recommend you for roles.
Actively search for recruiters on social media
We’ll start with the obvious one – Linkedin is a great place to search for current vacancies, and find recruiters that work in your industry or niche. There’s a dedicated “jobs” section with a useful “Easy Apply” function which allows you to simply send your CV to any jobs you might be interested in, and if the recruiter’s name is listed with the job, why not follow that application up with a DM? You can even connect with a few recruiters specialising in what you do, and drop them a message with your CV and previous experience to see if they have anything in your pipeline that would work for you.
You’ll also find that some companies use Twitter to advertise jobs they are trying to fill, or even have a separate Twitter account dedicated to job vacancies. Search generic hashtags like #nowhiring, #jobsearch or #graduatejobs or find more industry specific hashtags like #marketingjobs or #cybersecurityjobs to help find your next step on the career ladder.
Research
You’ve connected with a recruiter and bagged an interview for your dream job – now is the time to use social media to brush up on your company knowledge and wow your recruiter. Following companies on social media can provide a great insight into the company culture and to see the way in which they communicate with their audience and potential customers. Keep up to date with tweets, Facebook timelines and Linkedin posts – there will almost always be something that you will find out that you’ll be able to use during an interview.
If you’re looking for a job and are interested in social media and all things tech, then maybe a career in cyber could be for you? Check out our current jobs here or get in touch if you’d like to find out more about how we can help you find your perfect job.
