How to Choose the Right Social Network for a Job Hunt
The internet offers us many opportunities when it comes to job hunting. Gone are the days of looking for an opportunity in the classifieds section of a newspaper. There are many job boards out there, but social media allows us to connect with recruiters or make the right connection on a personal level.
With so many social media networks available, it seems impossible to be active on every one. Depending on your field of work, some networks may support your job search better than others.
1. Look for networks in which your colleagues are active
There is no point in looking for jobs on a platform that nobody in your industry is using. Ask colleagues and management which social media platform they use for industry updates.
Being on a social media network where industry representatives are active and sharing feedback and posting articles can draw recruiters’ attention to you. It’s also a great way to learn about industry networking events.
Groups are a great way to engage in industry conversations and establish yourself as an expert by sharing your knowledge. Facebook and LinkedIn have groups you can join, and you can join chats on Twitter to connect with co-workers.
Groups also allow you to connect with employers, recruiters, and others who can help you with your job search. Industry related groups can be a great way to connect with colleagues and keep you up to date with industry news and events.
3. Choose a social network that protects your privacy
You don’t want your current employer to know you’re looking for another job before you’re ready. Every social media platform has privacy features that allow you to restrict who can see your posts.
For example, on Facebook, you can categorize your contacts and then control who can see what you post. This feature allows you to connect with co-workers while restricting what posts of yours they can see.
Some social networks have photo frames indicating that you are looking for employment opportunities. You should ensure you have updated your privacy settings before posting anything that shows you are looking for new employment and avoid using the frames. You may also be interested in learning ways to prevent people from contacting you on Facebook.
4. Use the platform you are most comfortable with
You don’t need to be on every social network to be successful in your job search. If you enjoy making videos, you might want to post them to YouTube or TikTok. If written content is your forte, then you may want to post on LinkedIn, create your own blog, contribute to industry-related groups and white papers, and seek guest blogging opportunities.
You might want to create your own Twitter chat to network with industry peers and establish yourself as an expert. It’s important to find a platform that you enjoy using or you won’t spend enough time optimizing your job search.
5. Choose a platform that allows you to establish yourself as an expert
Depending on how you prefer to market yourself, you can use your posts to showcase your expertise. You can review the latest technology in your industry, create videos showing how to do specific activities, or write a post detailing the steps.
You can comment on someone else’s post and provide insights based on your knowledge and experience. If someone asks for advice, you can offer your help or even ask for help yourself. Avoid asking about employment opportunities if you haven’t already formed a relationship. Photographers might be interested in discovering the best Instagram alternatives for photographers.
6. Use a platform to showcase your work
Let’s say you’re a visual artist, graphic designer, or photographer, or you work in an industry where you create visual objects. In this case, you may want to share your work on image-focused social networks, such as Instagram or Pinterest. Authors can share their work on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other platform where people are looking for the content to read.
The goal is to maximize the number of eyes of hiring decision makers who see your work. You may need to find out where recruiters in your industry go when looking for candidates. You may be interested in learning how posting on LinkedIn can advance your career.
Here are some tips to consider before you start job hunting on social media:
1. Clean up existing accounts on all platforms
If you’re not sure which social networks you have an account with, you can do a Google search yourself. Go through all your accounts, regardless of whether you’re still active there, and hide or delete any potentially questionable posts. We’ve all heard stories of posts that resulted in someone losing their job years ago.
A lot of recruiters do their homework when it comes to candidates on social media, so you don’t want to give them a reason not to consider you. If you want to express yourself freely on your social media accounts, you may want to create a separate profile that reflects your professional interests. You might want to learn how to clean up your social media when looking for a job.
2. Celebrate your significant achievements
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is current with the certifications you have earned. You may want to take photos of completed projects and share them with your network. You can also share photos from industry conferences you’ve attended and courses you’re interested in or just signed up for.
3. Follow the profiles of companies you want to work for
Stay up to date on hiring opportunities by following the companies you’ve identified as places you’d like to work. You can customize your preferences to receive notifications, including job offers. The following companies you’d like to be a part of can tell you about events you can attend and network.
4. Choose quality over quantity
You don’t have to be on every social media networking platform. You don’t have to post multiple times a day, follow thousands of people, or have thousands of followers to be successful in your job search. Focus on where people are in your industry, what companies they would like to work for, and what connections can help open doors to your next job opportunity.
There’s a lot out there about the negative aspects of social media. The good news is that you can avoid harmful elements and use social media to your advantage as long as you stay focused.
By staying focused on your purpose of interacting on social media, you can avoid falling down the rabbit hole of entertaining videos or getting sucked into a political debate. If Twitter has become too toxic for you, you should look for ways to reduce the toxicity.