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Social media started as a fun way to connect with friends and family to share news, life updates and keep your loved ones close no matter how far away they lived. Now it’s used for a wide variety of things such as shopping, networking, personal branding, and job hunting. One new advantage of social media that seems to be on the rise is the opportunity to find a job. People everywhere are turning to different media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to network and apply for jobs in their field. Here are all the ways you can use social media to your advantage and optimize your job search. 

Even if you aren’t an avid social media user, having one or two accounts shows an employer that you at the very least have some technological skills. If you’re actively looking for a job, it’s also helpful to have social accounts so that potential employers and recruiters can quickly seek you out. According to a study, 87% of recruiters reported using LinkedIn to source candidates, and 55% reported using Facebook in 2017. If these numbers don’t influence your decision to download these apps during a job hunt, I don’t know what will! Once you’ve made a social media account, the work doesn’t stop there- what goes on it is just as important. 

Whether you plan to use social media as a source for landing a job or not, you’ll want to make sure your online content is appropriate. Steer away from posting anything that could jeopardize an employer’s decision to hire you, and privatize what you don’t want to be seen by the public. An excellent way to manage your social footprint is simply by searching your name online. You may also want to consider putting efforts into only 2 or 3 primary social media channels instead of 4 or 5. Having too many can potentially weaken your efforts. 

So you’ve straightened up your social media and are ready to make some professional connections. Here are some things you can do to speed up your hunt for a job and get your name in front of the recruiters: 

• Research different companies where you’d love to work. Follow their accounts so you can keep tabs on open positions and new opportunities.  

• Build connections by interacting with posts from people in your desired industry.  

• Use hashtags on your posts to make yourself more visible to new recruiters, hiring managers, and existing employees. Some examples of useful hashtags include #jobsearch, #gethired, #remotework, #readytowork, or you can use more specific ones like #marketingmanagerjobs or #computertechjobs. 

• Use hashtags to seek out open positions. Type in the search bar the job title you’re looking for and see what pops up. 

• Never stop building your brand. Post and share content that shows your interests, who you are, and builds up your character. 

• Find out more about your interviewer before you meet them by researching them on social media (they’re likely researching you). Researching can help you prepare for your interview by giving insight into the recruiter’s or manager’s personality. 

If you’re searching for a new job, start using social media as an extra resource. Popular platforms once used just for play have developed into productive environments for work and play. Take advantage of your online presence and move one step closer to landing your dream job!