How to Scout for Job Openings on Social Media
Employers have been scoping potential employer’s social media profiles for years; however more and more they are also broadcasting potential jobs on social media. Especially in the case of companies that already have an established social media presence, letting their audience know about job openings is an effective way to communicate with candidates. This means that job seekers have a new way they must compete in the job market—by scouting job openings on social media.
Before You Begin
In order to have access to job listings on social media you must create social media profiles across the most popular outlets—LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. If you don’t already have a presence on these sites, the onset of a job search is a good time to begin. Always keep in mind that just as you are scrutinizing employer’s profiles they will be assessing yours—so make sure everything that you put online demonstrates your most professional side.
Where to Look for Jobs
If a job is posted on a company’s social media there is a high likelihood it is also posted online on a more tradition job search site; however, social media can put you in contact with jobs you may not have come across otherwise. Here’s where jobs pop up on the most popular sites:
- Twitter: In 140 characters or less, Twitter contains thousands of job postings. Tools such as TwitJobSearch have been created in order to search the high volume of jobs in the Twittersphere. Searching for keywords or clicking a company’s profile can also lead you to job postings.
- LinkedIn: This professional networking site also has a search mechanism that can pull up a hefty amount of job openings. One of the benefits of checking out a job on LinkedIn is that you can see if you have any connections to it in your network. The posting are often detailed as well, and you can easily click to the company’s LinkedIn page for more information.
- Facebook: Job postings on Facebook are more of a rarity, due to its social, rather than professional, nature. If there is a particular company you want to work for, it may be worth it to follow the company on Facebook in order to keep up with news and in the case they may post a job. Facebook shouldn’t be the focus of your job search by any means.
While these are just a few of the ways jobs can come up on social media outlets, just a little searching can you lead you to your dream job. Even if you aren’t purposefully looking for a job on social media sites, networking with other companies and industry leaders can provide valuable connections and potential career opportunities later on.