How to use social media in your job search

Category:
How to use social media in your job search

Social media has changed things for job seekers. Candidates can check reviews on company profiles, request career advice on LinkedIn, and even apply for roles within Facebook’s very own jobs platform. However, despite the fact that around 79% of candidates use social media in their job search, a report by SAFERjobs has found that job adverts on social media are ‘least trusted’ by jobseekers.


With this in mind, here are some top tips you should consider when applying for work via social media.


CHECK THE PROFILE CONNECTED TO THE ADVERT

Here are some things you should look out for:
•Customer reviews. Are there any, and what is their overall score?
•When was the page created? Be wary of pages that have only just been set up.
•Company information. Check the ‘about’ tab for information such as phone number, email address or location.



CROSS-REFERENCE WITH GOOGLE

Before applying to a role on social media, give the company you are applying to a quick search on Google. This will allow you to double check the information and to see whether it matches up to role you are applying for.


KNOW WHAT INFORMATION YOU ARE SHARING

In some instances the social media platform will share your personal information with the company advertising the role. This is intended to speed up the application process, but it is important that you are aware of the information the social site is sharing on your behalf.

The amount of information that is shared will depend on a) the information the social site holds on you and b) your privacy settings, so make sure you check these two things before applying online.


VIEW YOUR PROFILE FROM AN EMPLOYER'S PERSPECTIVE
According to a recent survey, 70% of recruiters and employers will check a candidate’s social media profile, and if you are applying for roles direct on social media you should anticipate this as an inevitability.
Give yourself a search on social media to see how your profile may appear to potential employers. Consider increasing your privacy settings if there are things you would prefer them not to see.

Wild Recruitment is committed to job seeker and agency staff welfare. To stay safe in your job search we recommend that you visit SAFERjobs, a non-profit, joint industry and law enforcement organisation working to combat job scams. Visit the SAFERjobs website for information on common scams and to get free, expert advice for a safer job search.