Top Social Media Sites that Can Help You Find Your Next Job

If you have looked online lately in search of your next job, you may feel overwhelmed and even slightly put off by the massive number of sites that will try to grab your attention. As soon as you type the word JOB Search into any search engine, you will be astounded by the number of online job search sites that pop up.

Is there another way that you can find your next job using social media sites instead of traditional job search sites such as Indeed.com, ZipRecruiter.com, and Monster.com? You probably use social media to check on the status of friends, to keep up with your distant relatives, and to even get your next sangria recipe. But, did you ever consider that social media may lead you down the road to your next job? To most people, social media is a means of being, well, SOCIAL, rather than a resource of information, connections, and opportunities.

Opportunities? Yes! If you have never concerned using social media in this way, let me enlighten you about the value of social media to help you in your next job search. Not only does Facebook give you insight into your neighbor’s recent vacation, but it also shares what it is that they do for a living. Maybe they work in the same industry? Take this as an opportunity to bring this up at your next block party. Ask them to keep you in mind the next time that they hear of an opening.

Did you think that LinkedIn was only useful to keep in touch with professionals in your industry and former colleagues? Why not advertise your skills and experience in your profile? Establish your personal brand using hashtags to identify your interests and skills.

Social media sites can be just as useful if not more so than traditional job search boards if you use them to their full potential: creating opportunities to network, resources to connect with, provide visibility to your professional profile and be seen by a wider group of people than you could even feasibly network with. The possibilities are endless! Potential employers can even see who you are outside of work, how you represent your brand, and your work ethic. It can work against you as well so be mindful of those pictures that you snapped at the Holiday Party!!

With all of the options to be “social” online, the question is, which social media sites are best to help you find your next job? If you thought the job search options were overwhelming, imagine how many other types of social media sites are out there. How many sites do you think you may need to be on to help you land that job? The answer is not how many but rather the quality of the sites that you choose and the information that you decide to share. According to Rosie Haefner, VP of Human Resources at Careerbuilder.com, “If you choose to share content publicly on social media, make sure it’s working to your advantage.”

Top Social Media Sites to help you find a job

• Known for its networking capabilities, LinkedIn is typically used to post professional profiles, industry-related articles, and job postings.
• You may not realize Twitter’s power in helping you to find a job but when you connect it to your LinkedIn profile, it can lead you directly to the inbox of hiring managers.
• While most people use Facebook to keep up with friends, special events, and the newest challenges, it can be used to find a job through the Facebook Marketplace where employers can list available opportunities and you can direct message them to show your interest.
• Although less known than the others, Doostang is an online career networking tool hosted by Talent Inc. which connects top employers with top talent from around the world.

Actively engaging with people on social networking sites will increase your visibility and searchability for prospective employers. It is not enough to simply have a profile and expect that if you build it, they will come. To find your next job using social media, you must share your expertise with others, join social networking communities, participate in group discussions, share your opinion and knowledge. Simply watching the banter and reading the discussions is not going to display to a potential hiring manager who you are and what you represent.

Get in there and use social media for what it was designed for – be social!