Employers have reviewed candidates’ social media profiles for years. Now, more companies also use social media to share job openings. Many employers post opportunities directly on their platforms to reach a wider audience. This trend is especially common when a company already has a strong social media presence. Sharing job openings online helps them connect with interested and engaged candidates quickly.

This shift creates a new responsibility for job seekers. You must now scout social media for job opportunities as part of your search. Staying active on these platforms can help you stay informed and competitive in the job market.

To access job listings on social media, you need active profiles on the most popular platforms. Create accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook if you do not have them already. The start of a job search is the perfect time to build your online presence. Take a few minutes each day to set up your profiles and learn how each platform works.

Remember that employers will view your profiles as part of their hiring research. You will be reviewing their online presence, and they will do the same with yours. Make sure everything you post reflects your most professional image. Share content that supports your career goals, highlights your skills, and shows you in a positive light. A polished online presence can strengthen your credibility and improve your chances of getting noticed.

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.